Disney’s boardroom drama is getting another chapter, and Bob Iger is taking the author’s seat.
The former Disney CEO will revisit his return to the company in One Last Time: Managing Crisis and Building Resilience at Disney. Written with Dan Schwerin, the memoir arrives March 2, 2027, from Random House and focuses on Iger’s second tenure, from 2022 through 2026.
For anyone who followed Disney’s leadership shakeups, this announcement comes with plenty of intrigue.
The Phone Call That Brought Iger Back
According to our friends at Deadline, the book’s setup begins with a call from Disney’s then board chair asking Iger to return less than a year into retirement. The publisher describes a company struggling financially and facing damaged morale and confidence in its leadership.
Iger had stepped down as CEO in early 2020, handing the position to Bob Chapek while remaining involved with Disney’s creative operations. His eventual return put him back in charge of a company facing a very different entertainment landscape.
The book promises to explore how he approached rebuilding trust among employees, customers and shareholders, including the mistakes he made along the way.
Two Bobs, Two Versions of Disney History
The timing adds another reason to watch this release.
As Deadline reports, Chapek published his own memoir, Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth, last month. In that account, Chapek places substantial blame on Iger for his ouster and argues that he was positioned to fail.
Now readers will have Iger’s perspective on his return. How directly he addresses Chapek’s accusations remains to be seen, but the overlapping accounts give Disney followers plenty to compare.
Proxy Battles, Hollywood Strikes and Difficult Decisions
Random House says Iger will discuss two hostile proxy battles, the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, and leadership questions surrounding ABC’s temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel. Artificial intelligence, political pressure and making decisions under intense scrutiny also feature in the announcement.
“This is a comeback story,” Iger said.
The publisher frames that comeback around reconnecting Disney with its values while learning how to lead through sustained upheaval. It is a follow-up to his 2019 book, The Ride of a Lifetime, with a different set of problems at its center.
Release Date, Price and How to Preorder
Penguin Random House lists the 256-page hardcover at $34. An ebook, a $36 large-print edition and an audiobook narrated by Iger are also listed for March 2, 2027. The audiobook currently has a listed running time of nine hours.
Preorders are available through the publisher’s official book page.
Disney fans have watched these leadership battles play out through headlines for years. The question now is how much Iger will reveal about the decisions behind them, especially the ones that did not go according to plan. P
Sources
Deadline
Random House announcement
