Asad Ayaz
As I delve deeper into this intriguing tapestry of lives and careers, I can’t help but marvel at the sheer dynamism that Pablo Larraín exudes. Here is a man who straddles two continents, juggling his responsibilities as a filmmaker, producer, and family man with an ease that belies the intensity of his endeavors.
Holds the positions of Chief Branding Executive at The Walt Disney Company, President of Marketing for The Walt Disney Studios, and Head of Streaming Service, Disney+.
In 2023, Ayaz’s schedule provides an insight into why Bob Iger selected the marketing expert as Disney’s inaugural branding officer. This year, Disney has regained its position at the box office with hits like “Inside Out 2″, “Deadpool & Wolverine”, and “Alien: Romulus”. Upcoming releases such as “Moana 2” and “Mufasa” are expected to further solidify their dominance.
Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024
6 a.m. Gym.
7 a.m. Travel time.
8 a.m. Internationals marketing monthly with regional leads; in TD416A.
9 a.m. update: Confidential release dates; Thunderbolts trailer review. Although the official release dates are under wraps, Ayaz has unveiled that theatrical releases for Freakier Friday and the live-action Lilo & Stitch have been confirmed for May 8 and May 23, 2025, respectively, in TD 416A.
10 a.m. D23 Brazil — run of show; in Pandora TD 413D conference room.
10:30 a.m.: DO NOT SCHEDULE APPOINTMENTS. If Ayaz anticipates that a meeting might extend past its scheduled time, he allows for extra time. Given that his 10 a.m. was dedicated to Disney’s inaugural D23 fan event in Latin America, he factored in additional time to avoid making his 11 a.m. meeting late.
11 a.m. Musafa creative, redia and digital campaign; in TD 109U.
12 p.m. Holiday brand campaign; in Pandora TD 413D conference room.
12:30 p.m. Working lunch with Andrew Ferguson, evp research; in Rotunda.
1:30 p.m. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew campaign beats; in TD 416A.
2 p.m. Disney+ global marketing update; in TD 416A.
3 p.m.: Marvel digital/YouTube content discussion in the Pandora-TD 413D conference room, themed after James Cameron’s Avatar. Among Ayaz’s significant afternoon meetings (including a morning one), three occurred in this Pandora-themed meeting space. Other proposed theme-based conference rooms were abandoned due to concerns they might create discomfort for other filmmakers.
3:30 p.m. Moana 2 filmmaker presentation; in TD 416A.
4:30 p.m. Captain America: Brave New World partnerships review; in Pandora TD 413D conference room
5 p.m. Disney+ digital and social strategy; in Asad’s office.
6 p.m. Awards discussion. CALL: Adam Smith, chief product & technology officer.
7 p.m. Girls’ soccer practice.
Margie Cohn
President, DreamWorks Animation
As a dedicated fan, I’ve witnessed DreamWorks Animation (DWA) transforming its course since NBCUniversal acquired it in 2016, under the guidance of Jeffrey Katzenberg. The journey hasn’t been easy, with challenges such as the rise of streaming platforms and the global pandemic, which further complicated matters within the vast NBCUniversal empire that also houses Illumination Entertainment, a formidable rival. However, I’m thrilled to see DWA regaining momentum (check out its recent projects).
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024
6 a.m.: The day begins with sipping coffee, as the pot has been prepared the evening before. While enjoying the initial cup, I handle my emails, and afterwards, I tackle the Mini-Crossword and Connections from The New York Times, which serves as a little reward.
7 a.m. Pilates or elliptical.
8 a.m. Commute to work while making family calls, or listen to The Town podcast.
9 a.m. – Arrival at DreamWorks campus in Glendale. I’ll grab breakfast at the commissary and engage in some delightful conversations. Topics for our chat may include “The Wild Robot”, an impressive fall blockbuster that grossed over $200 million globally, and “Kung Fu Panda 4”, a major contender for one of this year’s biggest films.
10 a.m. – The TV executive group will examine all current projects, such as the upcoming film version of “Gabby’s Dollhouse,” and discuss forthcoming pitches to be presented to our senior staff within the television department.
11 a.m.: Weekend reading: Examine scripts alongside the feature development team, confer with Kristin Lowe, our creative chief, about upcoming actions. “I must gaze toward the future while managing what’s currently in progress,” says Cohn. “Creating animated films takes a considerable amount of time. At the moment, we are considering 2027, 2028, and 2029.
12 noon in the digital dailies room: Twice-weekly meeting with the team behind ‘Dog Man’ movie. The film is nearing completion (releasing on January 31, 2025), so Cohn is reviewing final lighting alongside director Peter Hastings, producer Karen Foster, and production designer Nate Wragg.
1 PM marks the time for lunch with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’s co-directors, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, at the DWA commissary. We’ll be discussing updates on their forthcoming, as yet unnamed, original movie.
2 PM, I’ll stride over to Lakeside Annex for a run-through and animation critique of “The Bad Guys 2” with the brilliant minds behind it: Director Pierre Perifel, Co-Director JP Sans, and Producer Damon Ross. Can’t wait!
3 PM: Gathering for universal marketing, where we’ll discuss our creative ideas. Let’s examine the print design for ‘Dog Man’ and take a look at the updated trailer for ‘The Bad Guys 2’.
4 p.m. Business affairs: Review status on feature deals including casting.
5 PM marks the final event of the day: Make your way to the Lagoon (a scenic spot on campus) to honor DreamWorks employees who’ve served for a remarkable 25 years. As per Cohn, fortunately, there are many such dedicated individuals.
6 p.m.: Cohn typically spends this time returning phone calls and trying to go through all the emails she accumulated during meetings. However, she finds it seldom possible to truly clear her inbox: “Often, I’ll be sitting in my office when 15 people come in one after the other. I’m usually scheduled back-to-back throughout the day, so they drop by.
7 p.m. Head home.
Rachel Morrison
Filmmaker, cinematographer
Following her historic nomination for best cinematography at the Oscars for the 2017 film ‘Mudbound’, Morrison teamed up once more with Ryan Coogler, having previously collaborated on ‘Fruitvale Station’. Together they went on to produce ‘Black Panther’. Subsequently, Morrison expressed a desire to change direction. On December 25th, her first full-length directorial work, ‘The Fire Inside’, is set to premiere in cinemas as the Oscar season reaches its peak.
Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024
8:30 a.m. Hot yoga.
10 o’clock in the morning: Meeting with Nick Nesbitt and other high-ranking officials at Scott Stuber’s revamped United Artists, a venture jointly run with Amazon MGM Studios – following Nesbitt’s viewing of “The Fire Inside”. It seems Morrison is hesitant to acknowledge that the frequency of meetings has significantly increased since people started watching “The Fire Inside”, a biographical sports movie depicting the life of American boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, portrayed by Ryan Destiny.
11 a.m. Stylist fitting with upcoming press events for The Fire Inside.
At midnight, I’ll be attending a meeting with the executives over at Hello Sunshine, which is Reese Witherspoon and Seth Rodsky’s company. Morrison is familiar with Witherspoon as they collaborated on the production of The Morning Show – specifically, Morrison directed one episode for that series.
1:30 PM marks the Panavision interview. Thus far, Morrison has relished the attention. “It’s thrilling and new,” she admits. “I’ll be happy to tell you more in a month.
2 p.m. Interview Magazine interview.
3 p.m. BUST Magazine interview.
4 p.m. Interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
5 p.m. Son’s piano and guitar lesson.
7 p.m. Dinner at Manuela in downtown LA.
Pablo Larraín
Filmmaker, producer
This year, the illustrious Chilean director and producer has returned to the Oscars competition with the movie “Maria“, an ambitious portrayal of Maria Callas’ life. He stars Angelina Jolie as the renowned opera singer. He still resides in Chile, where he and his brother run a successful film production company.
Friday Oct. 25 2024
7 a.m. Alarm goes off.
8 o’clock in the morning, First espresso. Larraín seldomly stays in L.A., so he requires a good dose of coffee after arriving late from London, where Maria was screened at the London Film Festival.
9 a.m. Call with manager Eryn Brown to discuss incoming scripts, schedule and ideas.
9:30 a.m. Drive to Burbank.
10:15 a.m.: Pablo arrives at Burbank alongside his brother Juan de Dios and business partner Juan de Dios Larraín to discuss a forthcoming project with an actor. “Fabula Producciones is the production company my brother and I established in 2004, where we produce films, television shows, and commercials,” Pablo explains. “Each of my films has been produced through Fabula, with my brother taking on the role of producer. Currently, we have two movies in post-production and four TV series running. We are also working on a significant production for an American studio that I’m excited to share more about soon.
12 noon: Los Bunkers, a renowned Chilean rock band, and I are having a mixing session in Santiago, which is more of an acoustic remix for their performance, similar to the classic MTV Unplugged.
An adaptation of this narrative was published in the October 30th edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To stay updated, consider subscribing here.
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2024-11-01 17:55