20th Television animation superstar Marci Proietto is going to oversee a new division for Disney.
As part of the conglomerate’s corporate reorganization, Proietto has been tapped to lead 20th Television Animation, a newly launched unit that will focus on growing and maintaining the Disney-owned studio’s vast animation library. Proietto, who maintains her exec vp stripes, will report to Craig Hunegs, president of entertainment at Walt Disney Television.
Proietto’s division already oversees 11 series in production, including mega-hits The Simpsons, Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers along with Hulu’s recently ordered Koala Man, Solar Opposites, Fox’s The Great North, Apple’s Central Park and HBO Max’s upcoming The Prince, with several others in various stages of development across broadcast and streaming platforms.
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“Many of the greatest family sitcoms on television —The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Solar Opposites, Central Park, The Great North and the list goes on — come from the genius creators 20th Television Animation has assembled and nurtured over the past two decades. Marci has been a part of all of these phenomenal successes. She is an extraordinary executive who is much beloved and respected by our creators and her studio team. And knowing Marci’s relentless passion, we’re just getting started,” Hunegs said.
Proietto joined 20th right out of college, beginning as the assistant to the head of production and working her way up through the ranks. She joined The Simpsons in its sixth season and has worked on every animated property the studio has made since, including King of the Hill, Futurama, Family Guy, American Dad and more. In total, she has had her hands on more than 2,440 episodes of 22 series in her 29 years with 20th.
“This studio is literally the only place I’ve ever worked, and I’ve been fortunate to have a front row seat to the creativity and genius of artists like Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane, Loren Bouchard and Justin Roiland,” said Proietto. “I love what we get to do and I am grateful to Craig and Dana Walden for this vote of confidence. This is truly a boom time in adult animation and I’m excited to continue to build on the leadership of this studio with this new production unit laser-focused on growing our roster of successful animated series.”
The creation of 20th TV Animation is part of Disney’s larger corporate reog. In February, ABC’s Rob Mills was tapped to lead an unscripted division for Disney that also sees him have oversight of Hulu’s nonscripted originals, also reporting in to Hunegs on the studio side (and ABC/Hulu chief Craig Erwich for development and production). Similarly, Disney Channel’s Gary Marsh was tapped in November to lead a Disney Branded TV division. The three units are part of a restructuring under Disney’s General Entertainment Content chairman Peter Rice, who is shifting the company’s longtime legacy structure in favor of centralized groups focused on content. This means execs including Proietto, Mills and Marsh will have their hands on content across Disney’s entire portfolio.
