Former Disney CCO and veteran entertainment industry executive Alan Horn is joining Warner Bros. Discovery as a senior adviser, TheWrap has learned exclusively.
Calling him “one of the most respected studio executives in the industry,” CEO David Zaslav announced the news in a memo on Thursday, which can be read in full below:
“I am thrilled to share with you that Alan Horn, one of the most respected studio executives in the industry, has agreed to assist me in a consultant role during this transition period, starting August 1.
“No one knows this business better than Alan does. He has had an extraordinary career spanning nearly half a century. Most recently, he served as chairman and later co-chairman and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Studios, where for a period of nearly 10 years, he oversaw the production of all motion pictures and the integration of Lucasfilm and the Fox film studios, as well as the expansion into producing content for Disney’s streaming services.
“Over the past six months, I have been fortunate to spend time with Alan. He has been generous and hugely helpful to me, and I’ve learned a ton about the business from our conversations. I could not be more excited to be able to continue to tap into his thinking, expertise and stellar instincts as we transition our film business and hone our motion picture strategy for the future. And I know Mike [De Luca] and Pam [Abdy] are equally excited to have Alan’s ear and to be able to benefit from his wealth of experience gained from such an illustrious track record.
“In many ways this is a homecoming. Alan began his career with the legendary Norman Lear and partners Jerry Perenchio and Bud Yorkin, and later co-founded and led Castle Rock Entertainment before serving as president and COO of Warner Bros. for 12 years. He knows the ins and outs of this studio and helped build it into the powerhouse it is today. He also has wide-spread talent relations and great respect and appreciation for our unparalleled collection of IP, and will be able to provide a unique and valued perspective to the overall creative process. We’re so glad to have him join us.”
The news comes less than a year after Horn’s retirement at age 78 as Chief Creative Officer of Disney Studios Content, and amidst a series of Zaslav-led hires and departures as Warner Bros. Discovery settles into its merger. Horn’s retirement announcement in October 2021 capped a nine-year tenure at Disney and a decades-spanning, nearly 50-year career in the entertainment industry. Those years included a long-lasting stint as president and COO at Warner Bros., where Horn oversaw such franchises as “Harry Potter,” Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, and Peter Jackson’s three installments of “The Hobbit.”
In this new consultant role, Horn is expected to help steer Warner Bros. Discovery through its merger transition, particularly as it relates to Warner Bros. Pictures with freshly instated studio heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who replaced Toby Emmerich earlier this year.
