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EXCLUSIVE: Liam Keelan is exiting his role as Disney‘s SVP of Original Content, EMEA, we can reveal.
The veteran British exec has been with Disney for nearly five years, but has decided to leave in early 2025. News of the departure was transmitted internally moments ago.
A recruitment process for a replacement is set to begin, and will no doubt attract big players from the international community, given the scope of the role. The new recruit will continue to report to Diego Londono, Disney’s EVP of Media Networks and Content.
Keelan built the Europe and Africa programming team from scratch as Disney+ went international, and has seen the group produced 70 originals under his leadership. His UK-based exec team includes scripted chief Lee Mason, unscripted head Sean Doyle for unscripted content and production management head Amanda Wilkie-Sweeney, and he also oversees local commissioners across the EMEA region.
Earlier this year, his team unveiled a series of projects out of Spain and France, news that followed Keelan last year saying Disney+ had hit an earlier target target of launching 50 originals. His division has been responsible for shows such as Sally Wainwright’s Renegade Nell, superhero comedy Extraordinary and Daniel Brühl-starrer Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.
Keelan was also a key player in Disney becoming the international home of BBC drama Doctor Who, and recently hailed the Ncuti Gatwa incarnation of the sci-fi series “a really good fit” amid industry chatter of its performance.
Notably coming soon out of Disney+’s originals out tray is Rivals, the Jilly Cooper novel adaptation that stars Alex Hassell as Rupert Campbell-Black, David Tennant as Lord Tony Baddingham and Aidan Turner as Declan O’Hara. The eight-part show launches on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ in the UK and internationally on October 18.
“Since 2020, Liam has brought an incredible creativity and commitment in delivering a wide-ranging local originals slate across EMEA,” said Londono in a statement issued to Deadline. “I am so proud of the shows Liam has steered, but also of the team he’s built.
“We’ve constantly evolved to bring our Disney+ customers great local titles, from award winning titles such as Extraordinary, The Ignorant Angels and The Good Mothers to local hits such as Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story, Lions of Sicily and Our Only Chance, and not to forget an amazing line up of upcoming titles such as Rivals, The Disappearance of Kimi Diore, A Thousand Blows and Vienna Game. This is all thanks to Liam’s leadership and decision making. I wish him all the best in his next endeavor.”
“It’s been an absolute blast running the Disney+ Originals team,” said Keelan. “I’ll forever be grateful to Diego Londono and [Disney EMEA President] Jan Koeppen for backing me every step of the way as we launched our first raft of commissions and set about changing expectations of what a Disney+ show might be.
“Starting from scratch almost five years ago, I’m so proud of the range, quality and awards our shows have brought to Disney+. Any success is testament to the brilliant teams we have here in the UK and across the European markets – their passion and creativity has been truly inspiring.
“It’s never an easy decision to leave when there’s so much more to come but channelling Declan O’Hara it’s time for a change and I’ve no doubt Disney+ and the originals slate will be hugely successful in the months and years to come.”
Prior to joining Disney in early 2020, Keelan had worked at the BBC. He initially plied his trade in the pubcaster’s networks division, ultimately rising to a controller of daytime programs post. He later moved to production division BBC Studios (then BBC Worldwide) to oversee investment in shows such as Doctor Who and Luther. He exited BBC Studios’ scripted division, which he led, in March 2019.
Keelan had almost joined Sky as its controller of Sky 1 in 2013, but ultimately turned down the role to join BBC Worldwide. Earlier in his career, he had briefly worked at ITV but broadly spent his entire career at the Beeb before his run at Disney.
In separate Disney news, we reported this week that U.S. production division ABC Signature was being folded into 20th Television under President Kathy Burke. A restructure saw the likes of Simian Sethi land new roles, with Tracy Underwood and Erin Wehrenberg exiting.
