Industry veteran Andrew Cripps has been named head of theatrical distribution at The Walt Disney Studios, less than two months after he departed Warner Bros.
Cripps replaces Tony Chambers, who was recently named president, The Walt Disney Company, EMEA, and starts in the role today (March 3).
He reports to Cathleen Taff, president of production, franchise management and theatrical distribution at Disney Entertainment – Studios, and will oversee the slates of Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studio, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures.
His purview includes the Cinema Partnerships team, non-theatrical sales, and the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.
Jeffrey Forman, SVP, international theatrical sales and Matthew Kalavsky, SVP, general sales manager, domestic theatrical distribution, will report directly to Cripps.
Cripps’s global remit means regional studio distribution leaders will also report to him while maintaining reporting lines to their respective regional heads. His reports include Nick Rush, SVP, studio distribution for EMEA, Martin Iraola, SVP & managing director Southern and GM theatrical for LATAM, and John Hsu, head of distribution & operations in APAC.
As president of international theatrical distribution at Warner Bros Studios, where he served from September 2019 until his abrupt departure in January, Cripps oversaw tentpoles like Barbie, the first two Dune films, Joker, and Wonka.
He was also responsible for the international distribution of MGM films. That company’s parent Amazon MGM Studios is preparing to launch its own international theatrical distribution arm after the current deal with Warner Bros ends. It had been speculated briefly that Cripps might have taken on that role, which is clearly not the case now.
Prior to Warner Bros, Cripps served as president of international theatrical distribution for 20th Century Fox, where he worked on Bohemian Rhapsody, and was the London-based president of International for Imax and executive vice-president of the Imax Corporation from 2012-17. He also led Paramount Pictures International and United International Pictures, the joint venture owned by Universal and Paramount.
Taff hailed the new arrival’s “deep understanding of the evolving marketplace” and “strategic vision and many years of expertise”. Cripps said of Taff, co-chairman, Disney Entertainment Alan Bergman, and the Disney team: “The work they’ve accomplished year-after-year is nothing short of inspiring, and I’m excited for the opportunity to contribute to that incredible momentum and help build for the future.”
The Walt Disney Studios’ 2025 slate includes Snow White and Lilo & Stitch; Pixar Elio; Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2; and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire And Ash.
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