MUMBAI: Former president of production at Imagine and producer Jim Whitaker has signed a first-look deal with Disney.

The pact is said to the first after Rich Ross took over as Chairman. Terms of the deal and details of the kinds of movies Whitaker would make were not disclosed.
Disney has been cutting back deals or letting some producers like Scott Rudin go with who it is in negotiations to end their deal early.

Whitaker worked at Imagine for about 16 years, starting as a summer intern in 1993 and worked his way up as production president, receiving executive producer credits on films like Friday Night Lights, American Gangster and the upcoming Robin Hood.

Whitaker left the Universal-based banner last year to direct Project Rebirth, a documentary that chronicles the rebuilding of Ground Zero and will be part of the permanent collection of the site‘s museum.

He worked with Disney on Flightplan, the 2005 Jodie Foster thriller for which he was the executive producer.