newjerseynewsroom.com

BY CHRISTINE SAVOIA

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Rich Ross announced Friday that he was resigning from his position as chairman of Walt Disney Studios. The decision comes after the studio revealed a $200 million loss for their second fiscal quarter, due heavily to poor box office numbers for Disney’s “John Carter” film.

According to CNN Money, “Carter,” a sci-fi space adventure based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, reportedly cost about $250 million to make — not mention the heavy marketing campaign Disney launched to promote it.

Despite the effort, “John Carter” appears to have lacked the Disney magic, receiving a poor 51 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. According to the critics, “While John Carter looks terrific and delivers its share of pulpy thrills, it also suffers from uneven pacing and occasionally incomprehensible plotting and characterization.”

While Ross expressed faith in Disney’s strength in the film industry, according to CNN, he wrote in his resignation letter, “I no longer believe the Chairman role is the right professional fit for me."

The studio reported the loss only 11 days after the film’s launch on March 9. As an apparent result of that, Ross is stepping down as head of the Disney film empire, with no immediate replacements vying for the position.

The Hollywood Reporter said, “Given Disney's decision to dial back on the number of films that the studio produces — as well as [CEO Bob] Iger's reputation for disliking the movie business generally — the job might have limited appeal to top candidates.”