Cook Leaves Disney

Dick Cook abruptly stepped down as the studio chairman for the Walt Disney Company Friday. The sudden move has send a shockway through not only the House of Mouse but the entire Hollywood community. Many are speculating on why Cook departed and what his leaving could mean to the future slate of Disney projects.

Cook has spent the past 38 years at the company, starting off as a ride operator on Disneyland’s steam train in 1971 and moving up the distribution and production ranks over the years before becoming chairman in 2002.

He had shown little interest in wanting to leave his post anytime soon — he was front and center touting the studio’s projects at the recent D23 fan convention — and the circumstances of his ankling were strange: an immediate departure, announced through a press release Friday afternoon, which surprised the town as people headed into the weekend.

Officially, Cook and Disney sold the move as the end of a long run.

“To wrap up my Disney experience in a neatly bundled statement is close to impossible,” Cook said. “Our talent roster is simply the best in the business. I believe our slate of upcoming motion pictures is the best in our history. But most of all, I love the people, my colleagues, my teammates, who are the most talented, dedicated and loyal folks in the world. I know that I leave the studio in their exceptional hands.”

Behind the scenes, however, Cook told colleagues a different story. During a meeting with staffers, Cook declared that change is coming at the studio and that he isn’t part of that future. He called himself a “square peg in a round hole.”

One of Cook’s key strengths was his close relationships with filmmakers and his ability to talk to talent. And for executives on the lot, Cook was almost a father figure who kept things stable.

The departure could have an immediate impact on two projects–one is the upcoming “Pirates of the Caribbean 4” and the other is an expanded, animated remake of Tim Burton’s “Frankenwenie.”