Rich Ross Quits: Disney Heads Roll After 'John Carter' Nightmare

Someone was always going to pay for the huge losses made by Disney's disastrous flop 'John Carter,' and the news has come out that it's studio boss Rich Ross who'll be stepping down. The news might seem harsh after a bit of digging around; Ross took his current role two and a half years ago and had successfully brought the likes of 'High School Musical' and 'Hannah Montana' to TV audiences in his previous job for the company as head of Disney Channels Worldwide.

However Disney booked a film that lost a mighty $200 million - 'John Carter,' and ultimately it was Ross who'd decided to go ahead with production of a film that cost similar to that of 'Avatar' but took nowhere near 'Avatar's' $2.8 billion. USA Today reports that Ross told staff in a memo "The best people need to be in the right jobs, in roles they are passionate about, doing work that leverages the full range of their abilities. I no longer believe the chairman role is the right professional fit for me."

Ross' remit when he took the position was to cut costs, and he did so by axing the likes of '20,000 Leagues Under The Sea' and 'Wild Hogs 2;' however he also allowed the releases of poorly received films like 'Prince Of Persia' and 'Winnie The Pooh,' and ultimately it's that which appears to have forced his resignation.