Exec Trivia: Hoberman was a mailroom clerk at ABC in the early ’70s, when Michael Eisner ran the Alphabet Web.
The Basics: After working at ABC, producing TV for Norman Lear, and an ICM talent agent stint, Hoberman became president of the Walt Disney Motion Picture group from 1985-95, during the studio’s ascension period in the world of live-action pix. Hoberman went into producing in ’95, but continued his Disney relationship — first with Mandeville, and then, after folding Mandeville, with Hyde Park Entertainment in ’99. Last year, he re-formed Mandeville with a first-look deal with Disney.
Rep: Hoberman’s relationship with Disney in different capacities has been almost uninterrupted for 18 years. He is largely credited with helping the studio become a mainstream live-action outfit during his initial stint.
POV: “As a producer, it’s obviously a huge advantage to have been around Disney so long, and to have such longstanding relationships with guys like Dick Cook, and others. The length of my relationship with Disney allows me to work with a kind of shorthand with the studio’s executives, and to give and take input from them in a healthy manner to make our projects better.”
