Dave Hollis death: Former Disney distribution chief dies at 47

Hollis played a key role in the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise

Former Disney distribution chief Dave Hollis has died at the age of 47.

The executive who served as the company’s president of worldwide distribution until 2018, died on Saturday (11 February) night at his home in Austin, Texas.

No exact cause has been determined so far. However, Hollis’s representatives said he was recently hospitalised for a heart-related issue.

The chief played a key role in the relaunch of the Star Wars franchise, as well as the Avengers series, Frozen and Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster superhero film Black Panther.

During his reign, Disney experienced massive box office growth, becoming the first studio to cross the $7bn mark in global ticket sales in a given year.

In 2018, Hollis resigned from his role at Disney and moved to Texas with his family.

“I can’t count the number of ‘pinch-me’ moments I’ve had in my time at Disney,” Hollis said in a statement at the time of his resignation from Disney. “In a world where so few opportunities could compare, the chance to support my wife and help grow her company was something I couldn’t pass up.”

In 2020 and 2021, the chief wrote two self-help books called Get Out of Your Own Way and Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant For.

He most recently published the children’s book Here’s to Your Dreams and had a podcast, Rise Together.

Hollis was also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served on the boards of Fandango Labs, Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers and National Angeles.

He was married to blogger and author Rachel Hollis from 2004 to 2020. The pair announced they were separating in an emotional post shared in June 2020, telling followers on Rachel’s Instagram page: “We started out as best friends 18 years ago and the truth is, that core friendship and the parts of us that work so well, have become a band-aid for the parts of us that don’t.”

Hollis is survived by his four children with Rachel named Jackson, Sawyer and Ford, and daughter Noah.