Disney studio chief Rich Ross steps down

Move follows $200 million loss on 'John Carter'

4/20/2012

LOS ANGELES — Disney movie studio boss Rich Ross is stepping down, a month after the family entertainment giant booked a huge loss on the movie "John Carter."

Two and a half years ago, Ross took over for then-studio chair Dick Cook.

Ross said in a memo to staff Friday that the role of chairman of Walt Disney Studios was no longer the right professional fit for him.

A month ago, Disney booked a $200 million loss on "John Carter," the sci-fi epic based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series. The loss will pull the entire studio into a loss of $80 million to $120 million in the quarter through March.

The Walt Disney Co. did not name a successor.