Two Executive Promotions at Disney

BURBANK: Two new VPs of original movies and series are in place at Disney Channel and Disney XD.

Jonas Agin has been elevated to the post of VP of original series at Disney Channel and Disney XD. He will oversee creative development of live-action series for both networks. Meanwhile, at Disney Channel, Lauren Kisilevsky has been promoted to VP of original movies. In her new role, Kisilevsky will continue to have oversight of creative development for some of Disney Channel’s upcoming movies, including High School Musical 4.

In Agin’s new role, he will be responsible for developing upcoming series, including Walk the Prank and MECH-X4, as well as current series such as Gamer’s Guide to Pretty Much Everything and Kirby Buckets. He will report to Adam Bonnett, the executive VP of original programming at Disney Channels Worldwide, who commented, “Jonas has proven his ability to develop material that connects with our audience, and his taste for innovative kids’ and family programming is invaluable to our growth. He has strong relationships with some of the best writers, directors and producers and he knows how to develop programming that makes kids laugh and moves them emotionally. I’m excited that he is extending his creative vision and passion to Disney Channel in his well-deserved new role.”

Prior to his promotion, Agin most recently served as executive director of original series at Disney XD. Previously, he was executive director of global original series, working with creative teams across Disney Channels Worldwide. In that role, he oversaw creative development of Disney XD’s live-action series Lab Rats. Before joining Disney, Agin oversaw development and programming at the Tom Lynch Company.

Kisilevsky, meanwhile, has been working on the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) franchise since 2010. Kisilevsky’s responsibilities include script development, generating new projects, collaborating with writers and directors, and overseeing storytelling throughout production.

Kisilevsky will report to Naketha Mattocks, the VP of original movies at Disney Channels Worldwide. Mattocks said, “Lauren is an incredibly talented executive and her years of expertise in feature-film development have helped tremendously in pushing our movies to the next level. She excels at creative storytelling and has a deep understanding of our audience and the themes that matter most to them, which shines through in every project she works on.”

Kisilevsky most recently held the position of executive director of original movies at Disney Channel and oversaw projects such as Teen Beach 2, Zapped and the STEM-focused How to Build a Better Boy. She joined the company in 2010 as director of original movies at Disney Channel. Prior to joining Disney, Kisilevsky served as VP of production and acquisitions for Overture Films.