Sean Bailey steps down as President Of Walt Disney Motion Picture Studios

On Monday, February 26, Disney announced the departure of Sean Bailey, the executive who served as President of Motion Picture Studios. Bailey is departing after 15 years in the role, making way for the promotion of David Greenbaum, a co-president of Disney’s art film division, Searchlight Pictures.

Greenbaum will take over the position and oversee 20th Century Studios, apart from Bailey's film division.

According to Deadline, Bailey stated:

“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."

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Disney’s Live-Action Production President Sean Bailey exits after a decade and a half

Sean Bailey in an event (Image via Getty)

Sean Bailey, who transformed the animation department of Walt Disney into a multibillion-dollar live-action film division, is leaving after almost two decades as president. Bailey's responsibilities widened in November 2019 with the introduction of streaming service Disney+. This included the supervision of the streamer's live-action films, including Pinocchio and Lady and the Tramp reimaginings and character-driven films such as Togo.

Additionally, inspirational sports dramas like Rise, which followed NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and sequels to popular originals such as Hocus Pocus 2 (which was once the most-viewed film on the OTT service), Disenchanted, and Peter Pan & Wendy.

Meanwhile, Bailey has produced numerous mega-hit movies, including live-action adaptations of The Lion King ($1.66 billion worldwide), Beauty and the Beast ($1.2 billion), Aladdin ($1.05 billion), and The Jungle Book ($962 million). He has generated approximately $7 billion in worldwide box office revenue.

According to Deadline, Bailey said,

“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 co-founded and administered Live Planet alongside Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Chris Moore before joining Disney. He supervised the production of Push, Nevada, an Emmy-nominated Project Greenlight, and The Emperor's Club, both of which he co-wrote with Affleck, Best Laid Plans, Matchstick Men, and Affleck's Gone Baby Gone, in addition to serving as EP executive producer for the latter three.

Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, said the following in recognition of Bailey's work:

“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, and I couldn’t be happier that he’s staying on as a producer of Tron: Ares.”

The new title for Greenbaum will be President, 20th Century Studios, and Live Action, and he will report to Bergman. Since March 2020, Steve Asbell has held the position of President, of 20th Century Studios, where he will maintain his tenure.

Searchlight Pictures' executive team is led by Greenbaum and Matthew Greenfield, two of the industry's most esteemed executives in the art film sector. This is a tremendous opportunity for Disney Motion Picture Studios to expand its business beyond primarily mining the animation catalog for live-action successes.