The Walt Disney Studios has a new president. Daria Cercek has been appointed president of Disney’s live-action division. In this role, she will be reporting to David Greenbaum, president of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios.
“Daria’s unique creative talent, passion for storytelling and deep experience working with world class filmmakers fits perfectly with Disney’s mission to create unforgettable cinematic experiences that will stand the test of time,” Greenbaum said in a statement. “I am thrilled to welcome her to the team and look forward to the incredible contributions she will undoubtedly make.”
Previously, Cercek was co-president of Paramount’s motion picture group. As president of Walt Disney Studios’ live-action division, Cercek will be charged with running all of Disney Live Action’s theatrical films, development and production of the films that are inspired by Disney’s library of stories and characters, along with backing original projects.
In 2024, Sean Bailey exited his role as president of Disney’s live-action division. This led to Greenbaum being appointed to lead both Disney’s Live-Action and 20th Century Studios. Previously, he was in charge of Searchlight Pictures. The leadership change also led to the merger of Disney’s live-action and 20th Century Studios together.
Steve Asbell will continue to lead 20th Century Studios. Vanessa Morrison will also continue to lead Disney live-action projects for streaming. Both will continue to report to Greenbaum. Executive VP of production Sam Dickerman and senior VPs of production Allison Erlikhman and Jessica Virtue will all report to Cercek.
In her previous role at Paramount, Cercek and co-president Mike Ireland oversaw the development of and release of films like Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Gladiator 2, Smile 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, and The Lost City. Cercek has also worked with New Line Cinema and 20th Century Fox in development.
