Disney’s incoming CEO floats premiering films in Fortnite

Disney’s Incoming CEO Signals Plans to Premiere Films Inside Fortnite

Josh D’Amaro, set to become The Walt Disney Company’s next chief executive in March, has outlined ambitious plans to premiere new Disney films inside Fortnite, according to comments first reported by Puck on February 10. The move would expand Disney’s collaboration with Epic Games well beyond the character skins and virtual experiences that have defined the partnership so far.

“It’s not just gonna be one character. It could be a new film premiering there, it could be the place that you decide to book your next cruise vacation. You could participate in the Super Bowl in some way there,” D’Amaro said during a recent question-and-answer session, as reported by Puck.tweaktown

Beyond Characters to Full Integration

The comments reveal D’Amaro’s vision for treating Fortnite as an extension of Disney’s theme park strategy—a platform for marketing experiences and merchandise rather than simply licensing characters. D’Amaro, who currently chairs Disney Experiences overseeing theme parks, cruise lines, and consumer products, spearheaded Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games announced in February 2024.techcrunch

Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney has publicly endorsed D’Amaro’s appointment, calling him “a great leader and a genuinely nice guy, too” and noting the two have been working “closely” on an “open game and entertainment universe.”themeparkshark

The Super Bowl reference likely alludes to Disney’s ESPN and ABC subsidiaries, which hold the rights to broadcast Super Bowl 61 from Los Angeles in February 2027—the first Super Bowl on ABC since 2006.gamespot

Building on Star Wars Precedent

Disney has already tested in-game premieres. In May 2025, Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld premiered its first two episodes inside Fortnite’s “Star Wars Watch Party” island two days before debuting on Disney+. That marked the first time a Disney+ series launched inside a video game.vocal

Fortnite has previously hosted screenings of Christopher Nolan films including Inception and The Prestige, though those were catalog titles rather than new releases. More recently, Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill short film, The Lost Chapter: Yuki’s Revenge, premiered in Fortnite as part of its “Fortnite After Dark” collaboration.tweaktown

Leadership Transition

D’Amaro will officially succeed Bob Iger as CEO on March 18, 2026, at Disney’s annual shareholders meeting. Iger, who oversaw Disney’s acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox, will remain as a senior adviser and board member through year’s end.karryon

D’Amaro has described himself as a risk-taker, telling colleagues that innovation is essential to Disney’s continued success—a philosophy that premiering blockbusters inside a video game would certainly embody.hollywoodreporter