Just when he thought he could finally enjoy his retirement in peace, Hollywood has a way of dragging legendary executive Alan Horn back.
Warner Bros. Discovery has confirmed the former Disney chairman is coming back to the company as CEO David Zaslav has named him a consultant for the company as they praised Horn as “one of the most respected studio executives in the industry.”
Zaslav describes the re-joining perfectly: “In many ways this is a homecoming,” as he’s returning to a studio he didn’t really want to leave in the first place after spending 12 years as president and COO of WB overseeing the likes of the Harry Potter franchise and Dark Knight trilogy.
“He knows the ins and outs of this studio and helped build it into the powerhouse it is today,” added the CEO.
This announcement doesn’t come to much of a surprise as he has been working and mentoring Zaslav for the past couple of months and will now work with new co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about his new position, Horn said: “The word we’re using is consultant and that exactly how I see myself. I see myself as an adviser, a consigliere, if you will. I’m there to help and offer advice as appropriate.
“My role is to support David Zaslac and his team, including Mike and Pam and my old friends at Warner Bros. I know a lot of people there and I just want to offer support,” he added.
It can’t be understated how massive this is. This man, with Bob Iger, transformed Disney into the juggernaut, powerhouse studio it is today, making continuous billion-dollar movies, and it is great to see him home.
Alan continued by stating he’ll “help fill in blanks” in Zaslav’s knowledge of running a movie company and will meet with the new co-chairs to talk about the best use for him and them in this relationship. Including reading scripts, advice during greenlight process and being involved in DC.
So while Snyder fans are excited that this is the death knell to DC Films chief Walter Hamada, the opposite could happen.
This could be the making of him as he’s well-liked and respected by those who have worked with him. This is the opportunity for him to impress and learn from Horn. Maybe he’ll give him tips about how he helped Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige.
Additionally, be the guiding hand to getting a Superman project off the ground and into production.
As stated above, the 79-year-old has been enjoying retirement since leaving Disney in 2021 and spending time with his family. He’s described the role as a “half-time thing” trying to get that perfect work-life balance. At the minute, just helping Zaslav transition from being a “highly experienced manager to the world of theatrical motion pictures.”
Finally, showing he is a class act, Horn revealed he let his former employer know of his new job.
“I wanted to give them a heads up,” said Horn. “Bob Iger already knew. I called Bob Chapek, then Alan Bergman. Then I reached out to the heads of each of the studios and got most of them. I wanted each of them to hear it from me. I was very gratified and pleased by their lovely response.”
With this hire, Warner Bros is on track to return to its rightful place as the top studio in the industry.
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