Peter Rice, Disney’s head of TV content, was fired in a seven-minute meeting on Monday night after CEO Bob Chapek felt he didn’t “fit in” with the vision for a “new Disney culture,” The Hollywood Reporter reported, citing anonymous insiders. Chapek sent a memo to staff sending well wishes to Rice but THR reports that the move shocked staff and left Rice “blindsided.” The New York Times said Rice’s ouster would “go off like a sonic boom in Hollywood” because he was widely admired and seen as a likely successor to Chapek, who had only recently extended Rice’s contract. Dana Walden, a Disney exec who worked under Rice for more than 25 years at Fox, is likely to replace Rice. Disney made headlines this year for a taking a public position against Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, earning the ire of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
