59º

BREAKING NEWS

BOB IGER

Academy Museum to honor Sophia Loren, Haile Gerima at gala

Director Haile Gerima appears at the 65th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 2, 2008, left, and Sophia Loren arrives at the Governors Awards in Los Angeles on Oct. 27, 2019. Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. (Photos by Andrew Medichini/AP, left, and Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is assembling a star-studded cast for its opening gala in September. Italian screen legend Sophia Loren and independent filmmaker Haile Gerima will be honored with special awards, and Tom Hanks, Annette Bening and Bob Iger are being saluted for their efforts to raise $388 million for the long gestating museum, the organization said Monday. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is located at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in the historic Saban Building.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may step down without stepping away

Amazon announced Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, that Jeff Bezos would step down as CEO later in the year, leaving a role he's had since founding the company nearly 30 years ago. Amazon says Bezos will be replaced in the summer by Jassy, who runs Amazon's cloud business. (Isaac Brekken/AP Images for NFL, File)Even after stepping aside as CEO, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will likely keep identifying new frontiers for the world's dominant e-commerce company. Tuesday's announcement that Bezos will hand off the CEO job this summer came as a surprise. “Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it’s consuming," Bezos wrote.

Kingdom of Wakanda destined for Disney + streaming service

Disney on Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, announced a five-year exclusive TV deal with Cooglers Proximity Media company that includes development of a series based in the Kingdom of Wakanda from Cooglers Black Panther blockbuster. (Photo by Phil McCarten/Invision/AP, File)LOS ANGELES – The Kingdom of Wakanda is staking out turf on the Disney + streaming service. A TV series set in the “Black Panther” kingdom will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday with filmmaker Ryan Coogler’s Proximity Media company. Coogler wrote and directed 2018’s “Black Panther,” a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. The Black Panther character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics, which became part of Disney in 2009 when the media giant acquired Marvel Entertainment.

Film Academy Museum completes pre-fundraising goal

After 8 years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday, Nov. 13, 2020, that the new museum has raised $388 million. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP, File)It took eight years and 13,000 donors including the likes of Barbra Streisand and Steven Spielberg, but the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures has reached and exceeded its pre-fundraising goal. Academy Museum director and president Bill Kramer said Friday that the new museum has raised $388 million. Located in Los Angeles at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, the Academy Museum is set to open on April 30, five days after the 93rd Academy Awards.

California wavers on theme park opening rules amid pressure

But following industry criticism of the proposed rules, state health officials said no announcement was coming Friday as negotiations continue. Amusement park leaders saw a draft of the new rules Thursday and urged state officials to change them, said Erin Guerrero, executive director of the California Attractions and Parks Association. A Disney official said there have been no major reported outbreaks in Florida associated with the company’s theme parks and declined to say whether any cases have occurred there. Ian Henderson, a spokesman for Steel’s office, said county health officials have worked closely with Disney to prepare for the reopening of its parks. ___Taxin reported from Orange County, California.

Chadwick Boseman, who embodied Black icons, dies of cancer

FILE - In this March 4, 2018 file photo, Chadwick Boseman arrives at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Actor Chadwick Boseman, who played Black icons Jackie Robinson and James Brown before finding fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel cinematic universe, has died of cancer. When the former playwright suited up as Black Panther, he brought cool intellectual gravitas to the Marvel superhero whose Wakanda forever! salute reverberated worldwide. You dont have the same exact experience as a Black actor as you do as a white actor. Before an auditorium full of actors, Chadwick Boseman stepped to the microphone.

Disney reworking Splash Mountain, leaving ‘Song of the South’ inspiration

ORLANDO, Fla. – In the future, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” won’t be greeting those who survive the 50-foot plunge at Splash Mountain. Disney announced Thursday that it’s reworking the ride at both Disney World and Disneyland to take inspiration from the 2009 film, “The Princess and the Frog.”The ride’s current inspiration, “Song of the South” has called been called “not appropriate in today’s world,” by former Disney CEO Bob Iger and now, it appears Disney is taking more action to remove the 1946 movie’s footprint from its parks. The newly imagined ride will pick up this story of “The Princess and the Frog” after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance, according to Disney. The image in this article is an artist concept of what the reworked ride could look like, not what its guaranteed to look like. Disney said it’s been working on this project since last year and that it will soon develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape.

AMDS Su, Discoverys Zaslav among highest paid CEOs

Change from last year: 338%Her pay vs typical company worker: 604 times, up from 165Overall ranking: No. Virginia M. RomettyIBM$19.1 millionChange from last year: 9%Her pay vs typical company worker: 354 times, up from 319Overall ranking: 57___5. David ZaslavDiscovery$45.8 millionChange from last year: -65%His pay vs typical company worker: 578 times, down from 1,511Overall ranking: No. Shantanu NarayenAdobe Inc.$39.1 millionChange from last year: 38%His pay vs typical company worker: 266 times, up from 200Overall ranking: No. Larry J. MerloCVS Health$36.5 millionChange from last year: 66%His pay vs typical company worker: 790 times, up from 618Overall ranking: No.

CEO pay has topped $12.3M. Can it keep rising post-pandemic?

The 4.1% rise in median pay was a slowdown for S&P 500 CEOs, who had seen their pay jump 7.2% the year before and by even more in earlier years. SAY ON PAYThe slowdown in CEO pay across the S&P 500 is partly due to the increased voice investors have gotten on the subject, shareholder advocates say. The S&P 500 lost as much as a third of its value earlier this year, when worries about the recession were at their peak. Corporate profits, another key measure for CEO pay, are also expected to crater. Across the S&P 500, earnings per share will likely sink 33% this year, strategists at Goldman Sachs say.

Video app TikTok names top Disney streaming exec as new CEO

TikTok's app features short videos, many with music and dancing, that has become a favorite of younger people and is known for its goofy, light-hearted feel. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, file)TikTok, the popular short-video app that has also drawn national-security and privacy concerns, has a new high-profile CEO from Disney, Kevin Mayer. Mayer will also be chief operating officer of TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, and report to its founder and CEO, Yiming Zhang, the company announced Monday. TikTok's app features short videos, many with music and dancing, that has become a favorite of younger people and is known for its goofy, light-hearted feel. He leaves Disney a few months after the entertainment giant named a longtime executive , Bob Chapek, to replace the well-regarded CEO Bob Iger.

Disney CEO Bob Iger ready for risky Disney+ launch on Nov. 12

Disney+, Disney's much-anticipated streaming service, released an enormous lineup of "basically everything" that the service will offer once it launches in November. But all of that may not mean as much if Disney+, the company's upcoming streaming service, isn't a hit. For Iger, Disney+ will likely be the capstone on an illustrious career. In fact, Iger believes the 2017 announcement of Disney+ "marked the beginning of the reinvention of the Walt Disney Company." Or is it too little, too late for Disney and arguably the rest of legacy media to catch up?

Tom Holland called CEO of Disney and told him to save Spider-Man

(CNN) - Tom Holland isn't just a superhero on screen. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed Friday in an interview with late-night host Jimmy Kimmel that Holland, who plays Spider-Man in the Marvel movies, personally called and asked him to fix the Spider-Man deal with Sony -- basically saving this iteration of the franchise. Disney, which owns Marvel, and Sony had an agreement that allowed the character to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was clear that the fans wanted Tom back as Spider-Man, made by Marvel and our Marvel production team," he said. "We spoke, and he basically made a -- he cried on the phone," Iger said, laughing before revealing the truth.

Bob Iger steps down from Apple's board as Disney becomes a competitor

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images(CNN) - Disney CEO Bob Iger resigned from Apple's board of directors Friday, just as the two companies are becoming streaming media competitors. It will cost $4.99 a month, $2 less than Disney's soon-to-be-released Disney+ streaming product. Apple's board was previously eyed by the Federal Trade Commission for its ties to competitors. Iger had served on Apple's board since November 2011, a month after former Apple CEO Steve Jobs died. Iger was paid $125,000 in salary and $250,000 in stock to serve on Apple's board.

Disney donating more than $1 million to Bahamas

Copyright 2019 CNN(CNN) - The Walt Disney Company is donating more than $1 million to the Bahamas in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian. The donation has been led by the Disney Cruise line, which has several ties to the area. Disney owns a private island in the Bahamas called Castaway Cay, and according to the statement, employs native Bahamians in many of its area attractions and resorts. While parts of Florida have so far avoided the brunt of Hurricane Dorian's full force, the Bahamas has not been so lucky. Meanwhile, Walt Disney World in Orlando has remained open as more coastal and southern parts of Florida have braced for impact.

'Star Wars': Galaxy's Edge could be the most immersive land Disney has ever built

ORLANDO, Fla. - Disney CEO Bob Iger first announced at the D23 Expo on Aug. 15, 2015, that the company would build a "Star Wars"-themed land. You could be sitting on big bucks | A beginners guide to 'Star Wars': Galaxy's Edge | Sensory-friendly Disney: Park offers pass to those unable to wait in line ]"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" will take you to a planet far beyond our solar system. Located on the edge of the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories, you'll find the planet of Batuu. As you enter the land and make your way toward Batuu, you'll pass rebellion ships with a busy town in the distance. This land is seriously going to be in contention when it comes down to the most immersive one Disney has ever built.

Disney to remake 'Home Alone' for its streaming service

Disney CEO Bob Iger said "Home Alone" would be "reimagined" for its Disney+ service, along with "Night at the Museum," "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." (CNN) - Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal -- a Disney remake of "Home Alone" is on its way. In a conference call with investors, Disney CEO Bob Iger said the company would be "reimagining" the 1990s Christmas classic film for its long-awaited streaming service, Disney+, along with "Night at the Museum," "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." Disney has provided no details about how or when the film will be remade, or who will be cast. In April, the company unveiled its Disney+ streaming service, which will launch in North America in November.

Voice of Minnie Mouse, Russi Taylor, Dies at 75

Russi Taylor, the woman who brought joy to so many as the voice of Minnie Mouse, has died at 75. In a statement from The Walt Disney Company, Chairman and CEO Bob Iger said, Minnie Mouse lost her voice with the passing of Russi Taylor. For more than 30 years, Minnie and Russi worked together to entertain millions around the worlda partnership that made Minnie a global icon and Russi a Disney Legend beloved by fans everywhere.In 1986, the Cambridge, Massachusetts, native beat out 200 others to win the role of Minnie. In a case of art imitating life, she married the man who voiced Mickey Mouse, Wayne Allwine. She gave life to Strawberry Shortcake and Pebbles Flintstone and was featured in more than 100 episodes of "The Simpsons."

Abigail Disney visits Disneyland undercover after worker complaints

Disneyland calls itself "The Happiest Place on Earth," but family heiress Abigail Disney said she found workers struggling when she recently visited the park undercover. (CNN) - Disneyland calls itself "The Happiest Place on Earth," but family heiress Abigail Disney said she found workers struggling when she recently visited the park undercover. In an interview with Yahoo this week, Abigail Disney said she decided to check out Disneyland's worker conditions after a worker sent her a Facebook message. Abigail Disney has frequently spoken out about Iger's salary. In May, Abigail Disney addressed Congress on Capitol Hill.