Variety - June 15, 2022

124 Pages·2022·41.9 MB·English

06.15.2022 VARIETY ● 3
FEATURES
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Cover photograph by Ramona Rosales Rhea Seehorn isn’t giving away much about her character’s fate in the finale of “Better Call Saul.”
4 ● CONTENTS 06.15.2022
F O C U S
P.64 Scribes from some of awards season’s
buzziest series spent a Night in the
Writers’ Room discussing their craft

P.73 Holly Robinson Peete on her career
as she receives a Walk of Fame star
BIZ + BUZZ
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P.13 Disney’s Dana Walden takes on an
expanded role in the wake of Peter
Rice’s shocking exit
P.18 Comcast, targeting some big game,
hopes to satisfy its urge to merge
P.24 Director Gaz Alazraki talks about his
HBO Max “Father of the Bride” remake
P.26 FX and USA Network are betting big on
sports to woo viewers P.79
P.45
P.28 Prime Video’s “Bosch” gets fresh life
with a spinoff on Amazon’s Freevee
Groundbreaking series “Doc McStuffins,” featured in Variety’s Inclusion Impact Report, has been inspiring girls of color for a decade.
OUR TOWN ARTISANS REVIEWS
FILM TV
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8 ● FIELD NOTES 06.15.2022
Bob Chapek Arouses Anger, Shock
and Awe With Peter Rice’s Firing
The abruptness and timing of Peter Rice’s fir- businesses Rice was overseeing had done under his
ing last week by Disney CEO Bob Chapek remains leadership. Typically, people don’t get fired when
a complete mystery to many, including Rice, I’m things are going well. But, of course, there are excep-
told. The move came as a total shock to the industry tions to any rule.
and to the well-respected media executive, who is  And when top executives do get fired, companies
unusual in having spent his entire industry career typically go out of their way to make it appear that
at one studio, 20th Century Fox, and then its suc- the person is “stepping down” or “resigning.” Not
cessor company, Disney.  so with Rice.
As everyone now knows, Rice had absolutely no  “It was very odd,” says a source who is very familiar
idea what was about to happen when his boss called with the corporate machinations at Disney. “Usually,
him into a meeting on June 8, and I hear he was told somebody gets to choose the narrative.”
that Chapek wanted to discuss the Disney board Another source remarked how highly nonstandard
meeting taking place in Orlando later this month, it also was for Disney’s board to release a vote of con-
at which Rice was scheduled to make a presentation. fidence in Chapek and his top lieutenants the very
 Instead, in a conversation that lasted all of seven day it was reported that Rice was out. “The strength
minutes, Chapek informed Rice that he was letting of the Walt Disney Co.’s businesses coming out of
him go because he wasn’t a good fit for him or the “new the pandemic is a testament to Bob’s leadership and
culture” at Disney. Rice pushed for specific examples of vision for the company’s future,” stated board chair
E D I T O R- I N - C H I E F what Chapek was unhappy with, but no such answers Susan Arnold, further noting, “Bob and his leadership
were forthcoming and the meeting was ended. team have the support and confidence of the board.”
 “Chapek just didn’t think he was his guy,” says a  Again, weird timing. Why not just make that state-
top industry source who is close with Rice. ment when Disney renews Chapek’s contract, as is
 Rice was flummoxed, according to other people I expected any day.
spoke with, because ever since Chapek took over the Then again, Chapek himself has made question-
CEO reins from Bob Iger in February 2020, he appar- able, highly controversial moves since becom-
ently has done nothing but praise Rice, repeatedly ing CEO — think the release strategy for “Black
telling him how important he was to Chapek and to Widow” that resulted in a suit against the company
the Disney company. Rice supposedly never even by Scarlett Johansson for breach of contract; and
received any constructive criticism. for not immediately taking a hard stance against
 Some press reports have suggested that Chapek Florida’s homophobic “Don’t Say Gay” legislation.
Claudia Eller
didn’t feel that Rice was collaborative enough, but  All of Rice’s supporters in Hollywood believe, as
if true, that was never directly communicated to his I do, that the executive will absolutely land another
underling, according to those I spoke with. great job in no time.
 In fact, last August, Chapek extended Rice’s con-  “Bar none, Peter is the best media executive in the
tract for three more years based on how well the last 25 years,” says one pal, assuring, “He’ll be fine.”
Rice had absolutely no idea what was about to happen
when his boss called him into a meeting on June 8.”