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EXCLUSIVE: Effective immediately, Walt Disney’s Motion Picture Studios president Sean Bailey, who turned the company’s animation vault into a multimillion-dollar live-action film business, is leaving after 15 years on the lot. Searchlight co-president David Greenbaum will replace him.
Greenbaum’s new title will be President, Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. He will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman. Steve Asbell will continue to serve as president of 20th Century Studios, a position he has held since March 2020. He will report to Greenbaum.
It’s a full-circle moment for Bailey: He came to the studio as producer of the title of 2010’s $400 million holiday event. legacy of tron, and will continue producing Joachim Rønning’s film Tron: Ares before moving on to more entrepreneurial projects.
Bailey was rumored to be taking over the top Netflix movie job in place of Scott Stuber, who is leaving the streamer. But that’s not the case as we hear it.
“Sean has been an incredibly important member of the studio’s creative team for over a decade,” Bergman said. “He and his team have brought iconic stories and moments to the screen that have delighted fans around the world and will stand the test of time. I know he will continue to do great things and I couldn’t be happier for him to continue as a producer of Tron: Ares.”
“These 15 years at Disney have been an incredible journey, but the time is right for a new chapter. “I am deeply grateful to my exceptional team and proud of the success and history we have built together,” Bailey said. “I joined Disney while producing Tron: Legacyso it seems fitting that I have the opportunity to work on the latest tron while I’m leaving. I wish Bob Iger, Alan Bergman and all my incredible colleagues the best for a bright future.”
Bailey has been a success factory for Disney with live-action films. The Lion King ($1.66 billion at the global box office), Beauty and the Beast (1.2 billion dollars), Aladdin ($1.05 billion) and The jungle book ($962 million), to name a few. In total, it has brought in about $7 billion in global box office for Disney.
With the launch of Disney’s streaming service, Disney+, in November 2019, Bailey expanded his duties to oversee the streamer’s live-action films, including reimaginings of The Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio, the latter with Tom Hanks as Geppetto; movies based on characters like Go; inspiring sports dramas like Raise, about NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo; and sequels to popular originals like Hocus Pocus 2 (at one point the most watched movie on the OTT service), nice to meet you Follow up disenchantedand Peter Pan and Wendy.
Prior to Disney, Bailey co-founded and directed Live Planet with Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Moore. Bailey served as executive producer of the EP for The Emperor’s Clubthe Emmy nominee Green light project, Push, Nevada (which he also co-wrote with Affleck), and as producer of Best plans, the impostors and Affleck’s It’s gone baby, it’s gone.
Greenbaum, who co-directs Searchlight with Matthew Greenfield, is in the midst of a red-hot Oscar season with the film starring Emma Stone. poor things by Yorgos Lanthimos recently surpassed $100 million at the global box office and became the label’s seventh consecutive Best Picture Oscar nominee.
Greenbaum was promoted to lead Searchlight under Greenfield in April 2021, replacing outgoing bosses Nancy Utley and Steve Gilula. Greenfield will continue to lead Searchlight, where in addition to film, he also expanded the label’s foray into television projects for Hulu.
With deep working relationships with authors such as Lanthimos, Martin McDonagh, Wes Anderson, Guillermo del Toro and Taika Waititi, among others, Greenbaum will bring a new perspective to development in Disney’s live-action film studios division. While it is a franchise-driven department, Greenbaum has a strong sensibility when it comes to developing original director-driven films. Under his and Greenfield’s supervision, they produced such Oscar-winning hits as The shape of water, Black Swan, The Grand Budapest Hotel, nomadic land and critically acclaimed projects such as The Menu, The Favorite and Wild. Before Searchlight, Greenbaum guided Oscar winners No country for old men and there will be blood as a development executive at Miramax Films.
“David has an incredible creative sensibility and eye for filmmaking, and has earned a reputation as an exceptional creative leader and executive, as evidenced by his track record at Searchlight Pictures and his deep relationships throughout the industry,” Bergman said. “I am delighted that he is taking on this important new role. We’ve been very fortunate to have a strong creative leader in Steve Asbell at 20th Century, and I’m excited to have him working closely with David as we look more strategically at both brands from a creative and operational standpoint. I also want to thank Sean Bailey for his many contributions and leadership during his tenure at Disney. Searchlight remains in excellent hands under the direction of Matthew Greenfield.”
Greenbaum said: “I want to thank Bob Iger and Alan Bergman for the extraordinary opportunity to continue the legacy of legendary and groundbreaking storytelling at both Disney and 20th Century; It is an honor and responsibility that I do not take lightly and I am eager to begin working with Steve Asbell and the teams. At the same time, the last 14 years working alongside and in partnership with my dear friend and colleague Matthew Greenfield have been unforgettable – Searchlight and the incredible team continue to be the standard for quality in our business, and I look forward to seeing their continued work. success in the years to come.”