Ari Emanuel and Bob Chapek Detail Hollywood Memoirs

New memoirs from Ari Emanuel and Bob Chapek examine two paths to power in Hollywood, with The Hollywood Reporter and The Bulwark analyzing how the former agents and Disney executive built their careers and viewed the entertainment business.

Ari Emanuel’s memoir Roll the Calls highlights his long-running role as a prominent Hollywood agent and the expansion of William Morris Endeavor, while Bob Chapek’s Behind the Castle Walls recounts his leadership of Disney during a turbulent period.

According to The Bulwark, Chapek led Disney through the COVID-19 crisis, when theaters, parks, and cruise operations were disrupted while the company invested heavily in streaming growth. The review also described his earlier work expanding home video revenue.

The Bulwark said Chapek entered Disney through products rather than film or television operations and helped develop strategies including the Disney Vault approach and direct-to-video sequels.

"Despite its commercial achievements [irrelevant, your honor, move to strike], critics labeled The Return of Jafar as cheap and poorly produced. . . . [U]nnamed sources expressed concerns in the press about the film’s inferior quality and its potential negative impact on the brand." wrote Bob Chapek, former Disney CEO.

The review said Chapek defended those business decisions by emphasizing commercial results and described his view that product strategies could reshape entertainment revenue.

"But it was Bob from flyover Indiana, educated at a state school, who disrupted the business and kept the studio afloat." wrote Bob Chapek, former Disney CEO.

The Bulwark contrasted Chapek’s management-focused career with Emanuel’s dealmaking approach, noting Emanuel became widely recognized as a leading agent and helped build William Morris Endeavor into a major entertainment company.

The Hollywood Reporter focused on Emanuel’s memoir and reported that the book includes personal details, including his unusual daily breakfast ritual involving parasitic helminths.