Mouse in Chief

By Jeffrey Ressner

Disney CEO-elect Robert Iger, who has spearheaded the company's move into China, spoke with TIME's Jeffrey Ressner. Excerpts:

What are Disney's China plans? Our primary targets would be development of a park on the mainland, launching the Disney Channel and building our presence on new media platforms such as broadband and cell phones. And, of course, more Disney movies.

Do your movies make money in China? It's still modest. There are ticket-pricing issues, a small number of screens, limited release dates and a revenue-sharing model that's fairly limited in terms of what we can make. Over time, the business will improve significantly.

Has there been headway on rampant DVD piracy? There's some progress. The government seems committed--at least in spirit--to doing something about it. Now it's important for the spirit to be put into action. I think it will come. But it's not there yet.

What will it take? Pirates need to be shut down and held accountable. There need to be more channels, more mass retail, more legitimate video, more theaters and more films released in the market. That would go a long way.

What lessons did you take from Disneyland Paris? In Hong Kong we built a park that made much more sense economically. And clearly a variety of aspects are respectful of local culture.

So no Pirates of the Caribbean ride? Not yet. But give it time.