When Bob Iger returned to his role as CEO of The Walt Disney Company nearly two years ago, he said he would focus on returning creativity to the center of the company known for blockbusters and classics ranging from Star Wars to Cinderella.
As Iger prepares to headline this year’s D23 fan event in Anaheim, California, there is much creativity to celebrate.
This summer The Walt Disney Company earned a record-breaking 183 Emmy nominations and released two blockbuster movies, Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2.
Iger told ABC News’ Rebecca Jarvis in an interview that aired Friday on Good Morning America, “When I returned to the company in 2022 … it was very, very clear to me that we had to put creativity back to basically the center of this company.”
Both the creativity of Disney and the company’s legendary fandom will be on display starting Friday at D23, an annual Disney fan event that Iger started in 2009.
The event draws its name from the year 1923, when Walt Disney founded The Walt Disney Co.
On Friday Iger will kick off the event that, over the following two days, will see tens of thousands of Disney fans flock to Anaheim for sneak peeks of and behind-the-scenes looks at Disney theme parks, movies, Broadway, TV shows and more.
On tap will be peeks of Moana 2, upcoming titles from the world of Star Wars and more.
“Every time I’ve been to this event … I leave with a sense of incredible pride, but actually, a real sense of joy seeing what impact we’ve had on people all over the world, and to see it up close,” Iger said. “It’s an extraordinary feeling.”
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.