Paige Olson

About Paige:

As Deputy Chief Counsel, The Walt Disney Studios, and a 24-year veteran of the Studios’ Business and Legal Affairs group, Paige W. Olson has led the Legal Affairs team in connection with development and production of live-action Disney films for the past 15 years. Paige was most recently focused on talent deals and production matters related to bringing animation classics to new life in Disney’s high-profile reimaginings of Mulan, Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, and Cinderella, along with a range of other live-action motion picture originals and sequels. Paige and her team also support development and production of motion pictures from Walt Disney Pictures for direct-to-consumer viewing on Disney+, which launched in 2019.

Background & Experience:

With Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, Paige added leadership of the Legal Affairs teams for 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and Blue Sky Studios, as well as several integrated administrative teams, in support of live-action and animated motion pictures and other content for theatrical release and for the Disney+, Hulu, and STAR direct-to-consumer platforms. She also provided legal support for this year’s inaugural Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator program, an immersive program through which six directors representing diverse perspectives will produce original, live-action short films for exhibition on Disney+ and possible further development.

Talent deals with Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Tim Burton, Jon Favreau, Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney are among the many notable projects Paige has been involved in during her tenure. Most recently, she worked with The Walt Disney Studios’ executive team to bring the live-capture film of the stage phenomenon Hamilton to Disney+.

Education & Training:

Paige graduated from the University of Chicago Law School in 1994 after completing her undergraduate work in philosophy and political science with honors at Northwestern University, where she was also an All-American swimmer.