Former Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Chapek is writing a tell-all memoir about his tenure at the entertainment giant, a book that its publisher says will take readers inside the room, including “the high-stakes maneuverings that unraveled behind the scenes from his 2020 appointment to his subsequent dismissal in 2022.”
The book is called Behind the Castle Walls: My 30 Years At The Happiest Place On Earth, and it will be released on Sep. 29. Don Yaeger worked on the book with Chapek.
According to the publisher, Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books, Behind the Castle Walls will explore Chapek’s life and career, which spanned three decades at the entertainment giant. Chapek, of course, was elevated to CEO just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world and forced Disney to shut down its parks, cruises, and film and TV productions. It will also delve into what happened during his tenure, and the shock return of Bob Iger in late 2022.
“Was he really given a fair shot or was he set up to fail? What drove his ousting and Bob Iger’s return? What happened behind the scenes at Disney during COVID, and how did those decisions impact what we see today?” Gallery Books writes in a description of the project. “Four years later, after reflection and healing, Chapek is ready to tell his story, sharing what he hopes will be his true legacy.”
Iger, of course, stepped aside from Disney once again earlier this year, handing over the company to Josh D’Amaro, who succeeded Chapek a the head of Disney’s experiences business.
Since laving Disney, Chapek has mostly stayed on the sidelines, aside from some board work for companies outside of the entertainment business. But Gallery says that he still cares deeply about the company: “Even now, after everything, he’s still a lifelong fan, and wants the magic of Disney to endure for generations.”
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