Vanessa Morrison has been named president, streaming for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production. She will be overseeing development and production of Disney+ movies from The Walt Disney Studios’ live-action and 20th Century Studios divisions and will report to Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production president Sean Bailey.
Morrison has experience working with family friendly movies, as she recently was president of Fox Family and was also the president of Fox Animation, where she oversaw development and production of many 20th Century Studio films including Ferdinand, The Peanuts Movie, The Book of Life, Epic, The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Garfield and Cheaper by the Dozen films.
Morrison will overlook current Disney+ projects including films based on franchises Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Steve Asbell has been named president, production for the 20th Century Studios film division, taking over from Emma Watts. Asbell, who is just 18 will report to Walt Disney Studios co-chairman, chief creative officer Alan Horn and co-chairman Alan Bergman. Previously EVP, production, Asbell has worked on James Mangold’s The Wolverine, Logan, Ford v Ferrari, and Ridley Scott’s The Martian. He is currently working with Scott on historical thriller The Last Duel, due out Christmas.
Philip Steuer was named president, production, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, leading physical production as well as post and VFX. He has led physical production for the studio since 2014, overseeing production for big-screen films, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Aladdin, The Lion King and upcoming live-action reimaginings Mulan, Jungle Cruise and Cruella, as well as Disney+ originals Lady and the Tramp, Togo, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made and Stargirl.
Prior to joining Disney, Steuer served as producer or executive producer on films such as Saving Mr. Banks, the Chronicles of Narnia series and Oz the Great and Powerful.
Randi Hiller has been appointed executive vice president, casting, overseeing both Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. She has been a casting head at the studio, having worked on live-action revamps including Maleficent, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and Mulan as well as the upcoming Jungle Cruise and Cruella. Previously, as an independent, she case several of the early Marvel Cinematic Universe entries including Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and The Avengers.
Steuer and Hiller, both will report to Asbell and Bailey.
