Disney’s Vogel to Aim at Adults

David Vogel, the four-year president of Disney Pictures, is expanding his movie-making agenda to include some films for adults that will be distributed under the studio’s Hollywood Pictures banner.

Vogel takes on the additional title of president of Hollywood Pictures, which for years was one of Walt Disney Co.’s three production labels--along with Touchstone Pictures and Disney Pictures--but last year was scaled back to function strictly as a releasing arm.

Under the new arrangement, Vogel and his staff will develop and produce up to four mainstream movies a year, while continuing to produce six family films at Disney Pictures.

Donald De Line remains as president of Touchstone, which supplies the bulk of the studio’s movies aimed at mainstream adult audiences, such as “Con Air,” “Ransom,” “The Rock” and “Phenomenon.”

Vogel, who has overseen such fare as “George of the Jungle,” “101 Dalmatians” and “The Mighty Ducks,” has long wanted to move into the mainstream-film arena, causing much friction with De Line. Vogel’s expanded duties at Hollywood appear to be Disney’s way of placating Vogel without forcing the two executives to work together.

However, the move now puts the pair--each of whom will produce 10 to 12 films a year--in direct competition where mainstream product is concerned.

Vogel joined Disney in 1989 after running his own production company; before that, he worked for Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment.