The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Culture Wire
CultureCalifornia State Senate Passes SB 2319 Creating a Post-Production Tax Incentive, Sending Bill to Gov. Gavin NewsomThe Apex TimesCultureU.S. Summer Box Office Near All-Time Domestic Record, Rentrak Data ShowsThe Apex TimesCultureRandy Quaid Criticizes Anne Hathaway’s Casting in “Days of Thunder 2,” Citing Pregnancy in Comments Reported by DeadlineThe Apex TimesCulture‘Buddy’ Horror-Comedy Scares Up No. 6 Specialty Box Office Spot, Sets Roadside Attractions RecordThe Apex TimesCultureOlivia Rodrigo’s “Daisy Chain Fields Festival” spotlights women and girls through nonprofit partnershipsThe Apex TimesCultureNaya Rivera’s 11-year-old son Josey makes acting debut in forthcoming film, per reportThe Apex TimesCulture‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ edges ‘Odyssey’ in global weekend box office battle, pushing Universal past $3B overseas YTDThe Apex TimesCultureDolly Parton is laid to rest as niece Lainey Mae Parton recounts “Granny” tributes and memoriesThe Apex TimesCultureGuy Pearce updates production timeline for “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2” after cast lossesThe Apex TimesCultureTrump says he will file an FCC complaint against NBC’s Kristen Welker, citing “rebuke or punishment”The Apex TimesCulture‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Lands at No. 2 With $15.4M as ‘Spider-Man’ Closes on ‘Avatar 2’; ‘Dog Stars’ DeclinesThe Apex TimesCulture“Sunday Morning” spotlights backyard tiny homes, design brands and rare maps in Aug. 30 episodeThe Apex TimesCultureCalifornia State Senate Passes SB 2319 Creating a Post-Production Tax Incentive, Sending Bill to Gov. Gavin NewsomThe Apex TimesCultureU.S. Summer Box Office Near All-Time Domestic Record, Rentrak Data ShowsThe Apex TimesCultureRandy Quaid Criticizes Anne Hathaway’s Casting in “Days of Thunder 2,” Citing Pregnancy in Comments Reported by DeadlineThe Apex TimesCulture‘Buddy’ Horror-Comedy Scares Up No. 6 Specialty Box Office Spot, Sets Roadside Attractions RecordThe Apex TimesCultureOlivia Rodrigo’s “Daisy Chain Fields Festival” spotlights women and girls through nonprofit partnershipsThe Apex TimesCultureNaya Rivera’s 11-year-old son Josey makes acting debut in forthcoming film, per reportThe Apex TimesCulture‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ edges ‘Odyssey’ in global weekend box office battle, pushing Universal past $3B overseas YTDThe Apex TimesCultureDolly Parton is laid to rest as niece Lainey Mae Parton recounts “Granny” tributes and memoriesThe Apex TimesCultureGuy Pearce updates production timeline for “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2” after cast lossesThe Apex TimesCultureTrump says he will file an FCC complaint against NBC’s Kristen Welker, citing “rebuke or punishment”The Apex TimesCulture‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Lands at No. 2 With $15.4M as ‘Spider-Man’ Closes on ‘Avatar 2’; ‘Dog Stars’ DeclinesThe Apex TimesCulture“Sunday Morning” spotlights backyard tiny homes, design brands and rare maps in Aug. 30 episodeThe Apex TimesCultureCalifornia State Senate Passes SB 2319 Creating a Post-Production Tax Incentive, Sending Bill to Gov. Gavin NewsomThe Apex TimesCultureU.S. Summer Box Office Near All-Time Domestic Record, Rentrak Data ShowsThe Apex TimesCultureRandy Quaid Criticizes Anne Hathaway’s Casting in “Days of Thunder 2,” Citing Pregnancy in Comments Reported by DeadlineThe Apex TimesCulture‘Buddy’ Horror-Comedy Scares Up No. 6 Specialty Box Office Spot, Sets Roadside Attractions RecordThe Apex TimesCultureOlivia Rodrigo’s “Daisy Chain Fields Festival” spotlights women and girls through nonprofit partnershipsThe Apex TimesCultureNaya Rivera’s 11-year-old son Josey makes acting debut in forthcoming film, per reportThe Apex TimesCulture‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ edges ‘Odyssey’ in global weekend box office battle, pushing Universal past $3B overseas YTDThe Apex TimesCultureDolly Parton is laid to rest as niece Lainey Mae Parton recounts “Granny” tributes and memoriesThe Apex TimesCultureGuy Pearce updates production timeline for “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2” after cast lossesThe Apex TimesCultureTrump says he will file an FCC complaint against NBC’s Kristen Welker, citing “rebuke or punishment”The Apex TimesCulture‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Lands at No. 2 With $15.4M as ‘Spider-Man’ Closes on ‘Avatar 2’; ‘Dog Stars’ DeclinesThe Apex TimesCulture“Sunday Morning” spotlights backyard tiny homes, design brands and rare maps in Aug. 30 episodeThe Apex TimesCultureCalifornia State Senate Passes SB 2319 Creating a Post-Production Tax Incentive, Sending Bill to Gov. Gavin NewsomThe Apex TimesCultureU.S. Summer Box Office Near All-Time Domestic Record, Rentrak Data ShowsThe Apex TimesCultureRandy Quaid Criticizes Anne Hathaway’s Casting in “Days of Thunder 2,” Citing Pregnancy in Comments Reported by DeadlineThe Apex TimesCulture‘Buddy’ Horror-Comedy Scares Up No. 6 Specialty Box Office Spot, Sets Roadside Attractions RecordThe Apex TimesCultureOlivia Rodrigo’s “Daisy Chain Fields Festival” spotlights women and girls through nonprofit partnershipsThe Apex TimesCultureNaya Rivera’s 11-year-old son Josey makes acting debut in forthcoming film, per reportThe Apex TimesCulture‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ edges ‘Odyssey’ in global weekend box office battle, pushing Universal past $3B overseas YTDThe Apex TimesCultureDolly Parton is laid to rest as niece Lainey Mae Parton recounts “Granny” tributes and memoriesThe Apex TimesCultureGuy Pearce updates production timeline for “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 2” after cast lossesThe Apex TimesCultureTrump says he will file an FCC complaint against NBC’s Kristen Welker, citing “rebuke or punishment”The Apex TimesCulture‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Lands at No. 2 With $15.4M as ‘Spider-Man’ Closes on ‘Avatar 2’; ‘Dog Stars’ DeclinesThe Apex TimesCulture“Sunday Morning” spotlights backyard tiny homes, design brands and rare maps in Aug. 30 episodeThe Apex Times
Back to front
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro outlines future priorities after first D23 appearance
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Aug 16, 1:59 PM EDT

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro outlines future priorities after first D23 appearance

At his first D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event as CEO, Josh D’Amaro said Disney’s next opportunities include leaning into what makes the studio and parks ecosystem distinctive, and he pointed to how other media companies have tried to emulate Disney’s scale and style.

3 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Josh D’Amaro, the Walt Disney Company’s CEO, discussed his early priorities for the company during his first D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event appearance since taking over as chief executive about five months ago. Appearing at the Disney fan convention on Day 3 of the event, D’Amaro sat down with actor Ginnifer Goodwin for an interview focused on what he sees ahead for Disney and how the company’s long-running model could shape its next chapter.

The interview, conducted as part of D23 programming, positioned D’Amaro’s tenure in its early stage, with the executive describing “the biggest opportunities” for Disney as the company moves forward from the leadership transition that followed Bob Iger’s departure as CEO. D’Amaro’s remarks were framed around what the company can build upon in its creative and business operations, particularly as it seeks to maintain momentum across entertainment and fan-facing platforms.

In remarks reported by Deadline, D’Amaro also addressed why other media companies are attempting to replicate elements of Disney’s approach. He characterized the broader industry trend as companies trying to “look like Disney,” an observation that was presented as a sign of Disney’s enduring influence on audience expectations and the structure of modern entertainment branding.

D’Amaro’s appearance at D23 comes as Disney is in the public eye for both its content pipeline and the ways it packages experiences for families and longtime viewers. D23 itself is designed to connect studio releases, theme-park and consumer experiences, and creator-facing announcements into a single audience-focused platform. By choosing that venue for his first major CEO interview, D’Amaro placed his early agenda in front of the company’s most visible and engaged stakeholders: the fans who attend the event in person.

While the Deadline report centers on D’Amaro’s vision and the competitive landscape, it also underscores the continuity of D23 as a recurring stage for top executives to communicate strategy. In the past, Disney leaders have used the event to reinforce company priorities, and D’Amaro’s Day 3 sit-down with Goodwin followed that pattern by presenting business direction in a public, fan-oriented format rather than a strictly investor-focused setting.

The report does not provide specific new policy changes, film or series release dates, or operational restructuring details. Instead, it emphasizes D’Amaro’s high-level assessment of what Disney can pursue and how its influence is reflected in competitors’ branding and product strategy as the industry adapts to changing viewing habits.

As D23 continues, Disney’s programming typically includes announcements tied to upcoming releases and experiences. The next items for audiences and the industry will be any formal announcements that follow D’Amaro’s remarks, including updates that connect the executive’s stated opportunities to concrete projects, distribution efforts, or consumer-facing initiatives.

For now, D’Amaro’s comments set the tone for his early CEO communications, with an emphasis on opportunity identification and on Disney’s perceived template for how large entertainment brands can consolidate creative output and audience engagement across multiple channels.

Why It Matters

  • D’Amaro’s first D23 appearance as CEO gives Disney a public forum to frame strategic priorities early in his tenure.
  • The remarks report that Disney views its brand model and cross-platform influence as a competitive benchmark that other companies are attempting to copy.
  • Because the report describes high-level opportunity framing rather than specific operational changes, the practical next step for audiences will be any subsequent D23 announcements that translate those priorities into released projects or consumer initiatives.
  • Using D23, a family-facing and fan-centered event, to communicate CEO priorities highlights the importance Disney places on audience perception alongside traditional business metrics.
  • The comments about competitors “trying to look like Disney” reflect how Disney’s scale and approach continue to influence industry branding and product development, affecting how entertainment companies plan and market their offerings.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Josh D’Amaro attended his first D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.
  • D’Amaro became CEO about five months before the August 16, 2026 report, succeeding Bob Iger.
  • On Day 3 of D23 programming, D’Amaro participated in a sit-down interview with actor Ginnifer Goodwin.
  • The interview focused on D’Amaro discussing the biggest opportunities as CEO and how other media companies are trying to emulate Disney.
  • Deadline published the interview report on August 16, 2026.
  • D23 provided the venue for the CEO to communicate directly in front of Disney’s fan audience.