Disney Studios Chief Rich Ross Names Sean Bailey Head of Production

Two months ago, newly installed Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross sank producer Sean Bailey’s planned $150-million production of “Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

But that didn’t submarine the relationship. On Thursday, Ross picked Bailey as the Burbank studio’s new head of production, succeeding Oren Aviv, who was ousted this week after a disappointing spate of movies.

Bailey, who has no experience as a studio executive, faces a steep learning curve in assembling slates of movies and managing dozens of executives and filmmakers. He’s also the second outsider recruited for a key movie post at the studio: Ross, tapped just three months ago, had spent his career in television, most recently at the Disney Channel.

Although Disney has its film schedule set for this year, with such major releases as “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” in the wings, the two executives will have to move quickly to line up projects for 2011.

For the rest of the article by Claudia Eller and Dawn C. Chmielewski….please see the Los Angeles Times