Josh D’Amaro Gets the Big Chair, Dana Walden Gets the Creative Keys at Disney (Ep. 345)
Welcome back to Fine Tooning, where Drew Taylor and Jim Hill record on Super Bowl Sunday, dodge football talk, and instead zero in on animation news, box office bruises, and one of the biggest corporate shake-ups in Disney history. Along the way, there is chatter about Super Bowl trailers, art books you are not allowed to open yet, and why studios still love spending big bucks for 30 seconds of attention. Then the conversation turns serious as Disney’s future leadership comes sharply into focus.
NEWS
• Super Bowl 60 trailer watch, including expected spots for Toy Story 5, Hoppers, and whether Universal should hype the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy Movie
• A rough North American box office weekend, with Send Help limping to number one and Zootopia 2 still padding its already massive worldwide total
• Angel Studios news, including a release date for Andy Serkis’ long-awaited Animal Farm
• GKIDS picks up a new original animated feature from Macross creator Shoji Kawamori
• Genndy Tartakovsky reportedly circling an animated Game of Thrones spin-off, plus a look at Netflix’s Stranger Things: Tales from ’85
FEATURE
• Disney announces its next era as Josh D’Amaro is named CEO, effective March 18, 2026
• A deep dive into D’Amaro’s path through Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and why Iger ultimately chose him
• Dana Walden promoted to President and Chief Creative Officer, with oversight of Disney’s vast entertainment portfolio
• What this leadership pairing signals for Disney’s creative direction, corporate culture, and long-term strategy
HOSTS
• Jim Hill - IG: @JimHillMedia | X: @JimHillMedia | Website: JimHillMedia.com
• Drew Taylor - IG: @drewtailored | X: @DrewTailored | Website: drewtaylor.work
FOLLOW
• Facebook: JimHillMediaNews
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• TikTok: JimHillMedia
SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at Patreon.com/JimHillMedia.
PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - Strong Minded Agency
SPONSOR
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Thanks for listening!
