Sean Bailey, Who Spearheaded Disney’s Era Of Live-Action And Photorealistic Animation Adaptations, Is Leaving The Company
Walt Disney president of motion picture studios Sean Bailey, the executive who led the charge to adapt many titles from Disney’s animation catalog as live-action and photorealistic animated features, has announced he is leaving the company.
Effective immediately, Searchlight co-president David Greenbaum will take on a newly-created role as president of Disney live action and 20th Century Studios, assuming many of Bailey’s former responsibilities.
Bailey is a 15-year Disney vet whose first project at the company was 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Closing the circle on his career at the company, Bailey will stay on as a producer through the completion of Joachim Rønning’s Tron: Ares.
Of his departure, Bailey told Deadline:
These 15 years at Disney have been an incredible journey, but the time is right for a new chapter. I’m deeply grateful to my exceptional team and proud of the slate and history we’ve built together. I joined Disney while producing Tron: Legacy, so it seems fitting that I will have the opportunity to work on the latest Tron as I depart. I wish Bob Iger, Alan Bergman, and all my amazing colleagues the very best for a bright future.
Bailey was a box office hitmaker for Disney, and during his time at the company it produced hugely profitable live-action and photorealistic animated adaptations of some of the most iconic 2d-animated Disney titles such as The Lion King ($1.66 billion in global box office), Beauty and the Beast ($1.2 billion), Aladdin ($1.05 billion) and The Jungle Book ($962 million). Films made under his watch grossed roughly $7 billion.
Acknowledging Bailey’s exit, Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said:
Sean has been an incredibly important member of the studio’s creative team for well over a decade. He and his team have brought to the screen iconic stories and moments that have delighted fans around the world and will stand the test of time. I know he’ll continue to do great things.
When Disney+ launched in 2019, Bailey’s responsibilities expanded to include oversight of the platform’s live-action offerings. Shortly after that, the studio embarked on a string of forgettable streaming-native live-action features, some based on animation IPs, including Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan & Wendy, and the much-maligned live-action Pinocchio. Last year, the company righted the ship slightly with The Little Mermaid, which grossed $569.6 million globally. That’s a decent enough figure, but nothing compared to the totals that live-action adaptations used to pull in. Whether middling box office returns and an outgoing executive will mark a change in Disney’s adaptation strategy remains to be seen.