Dick Cook Steps Down as Disney Chairman

It is the end of an era; Disney Chairman Dick Cook abruptly stepped down from his position on Friday, after 38 years at the company.

As of late, there had been rumors of a growing rift between Cook and Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger. The latter had described the box office intake of current films such as "G-Force," "Race to Witch Mountain" and "Bedtime Stories" were all considered by him as "disappointing." He placed the blame on the executive offices.

It was not only box office which led to friction. It was also the conflict between the two, where Cook's secretive nature frequently frustrated Iger, who was looking for collaboration.

For his part, Cook expressed in a statement that he had considered stepping down for some time.

"I have loved every minute of my 38 years that I have worked at Disney from the beginning as a ride operator on Disneyland's steam train and monorail to my position as chairman of the Walt Disney Studios," he said.

Cook's career began in 1971 and has spanned the launch of 63 theatrical films, passing the billion-dollar mark at the domestic box office 12 times over the past 15 years.

Source: LA Times