Rich Ross: Last News

Cynthia Littleton Business Editor After two years of massive layoffs and the promise of more consolidation to come in media and entertainment in 2025, the mood is bleak among executives of a certain age. The pink-slip bloodbath has hit hard on Gen X veterans in the middle-management ranks of networks, studios, talent agencies and PR firms. And it’s come at a time when the entire industryis wrestling with the impact of systemic change — goodbye, cable; hello, streaming — and the most disruptive technology since the advent of talking pictures: generative AI.

Lizzie McGuire, which made a bona fide star of US actress Hilary Duff, abruptly ended after just two seasons in 2004 at the height of its popularity and shortly after the release of its successful feature film.It turns out, that was all due to a 65-episode rule at the beloved children’s network at the time.Prior to 2005, a flurry of shows including Lizzie McGuire, Even Stevens, and Phil of the Future were cancelled after, or even before, hitting the 65 episode count, despite favorable ratings and large fanbases.Why 65 episodes, you ask? That count would allow four other shows to air during the week over a year so the network could keep delivering fresh content.That was, until That’s So Raven, starring actress Raven-Symone, completely changed the game.Debuting in 2003, the teen psychic series following the adventures of the Baxter family was a blockbuster hit for the network, becoming the highest-rating original program in the network’s history, surpassing Lizzie McGuire.It was sensationally commissioned for a fourth season in 2005, which marked the first time in Disney Channel history that it had gone beyond three seasons for an original series.“It is our most successful series,” former Disney Channel president Rich Ross said at the time.

Claudia Eller Co-Editor-in-ChiefCalling Alan Horn! As the nasty war between Scarlett Johansson and Disney continues to escalate and rage on in the public eye, might it not be beneficial for someone within the not-so-Magic Kingdom — such as Horn — to intervene and help diffuse the hostilities?A highly respected industry statesman who’s always been a voice of reason, Horn should step in and try to get Disney to dial down the vitriol that is alienating some of its own movie fans, angering talent reps and women’s activist groups.Lest we forget: Horn was the seasoned executive who was hired at Disney by leader Bob Iger back in 2012 to help steady the ship after it was rocked by the tumultuous regime of Rich Ross and a string of costly box

It is extremely ironic that on the same day when Warner Bros. throws in the towel on its day-and-date HBO Max theatrical release plan (for 2022) that Disney would take one of their most highly anticipated Marvel movies, Black Widow, and move it to a day-and-date theatrical Disney+ PVOD plan after the muted performances of Mulan, Soul, and Raya and the Last Dragon on the service.