Veteran Disney distribution executive David Kornblum, who has led the studio’s theatrical sales distribution in Asia/Pacific and Russia, has departed from Disney after more than 31 years.
Kornblum played a key role in the release of nearly 800 films over the course of his tenure at The Walt Disney Company, including the record-setting launches associated with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney live-action and animation franchises. Those titles included more than 20 with worldwide grosses that topped $1 billion, led by 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame” at $2.8 billion.
Kornblum worked in sales and distribution planning, specializing in structuring how international box-office reporting, systems and scheduling were handled. Over the last decade, he led Disney’s theatrical and sales distribution team throughout the Asia/Pacific and Russia regions, serving as the conduit between the studio and its teams.
Kornblum also worked through the Buena Vista International label and oversaw the acquisition of third-party products across all platforms. He secured rights to more than 220 films in selected territories, including “12 Years a Slave,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” “Brooklyn,” “Tree of Life,” “Lone Survivor,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2” and the “Red” franchise.
Kornblum was honored by his peers with the Passepartout Award at 2013 CinemaCon while he was Disney’s VP of international theatrical sales and distribution for Asia Pacific and Russia. He was recognized as distributor of the year at CineAsia in 2016.