Pixar Animation Studios is changing hands at the top. Jim Morris, the studio's president for the past 12 years, will step down and become president emeritus, with Jonathan Garson named his successor effective Jan. 4, 2027, TheWrap reported.
The shake-up also lifts producer Jonas Rivera, who moves from executive vice president of production to executive vice president of creative. Pete Docter remains Pixar's chief creative officer.
Who is Jonathan Garson?
Garson joined Pixar in 2010 after 16 years at Disney, where he started in the late 1990s as an assistant to the chairman of The Walt Disney Studios and rose to vice president of franchise and product management. At Pixar, he served as senior vice president of worldwide marketing and franchise before overseeing the studio's operations departments alongside Rivera.
Morris, who has spent 21 years at the Emeryville, California, studio, isn't disappearing. He'll stay involved with the slate, including Incredibles 3, along with talent development, mentorship and technology.
The handoff comes during a strong stretch for Pixar. Hoppers, directed by Daniel Chong, earned nearly $400 million worldwide this year, and Toy Story 5, directed by Andrew Stanton and co-directed by Kenna Harris, has passed $1.14 billion globally, making it the franchise's biggest entry. Catch up on our chat with Toy Story 5 voice actor Craig Robinson: Craig Robinson Talks Toy Story 5 and Joining an Iconic Franchise.
Next up for the studio is Enrico Casarosa's Gatto, featuring Mark Ruffalo, on March 5, 2027. Trevor Jimenez and Jesse Andrews' Ghost Market follows in 2028, and Peter Sohn's Incredibles 3, written by Brad Bird, is dated for June 16, 2028.
Why it matters: Leadership at major animation studios shapes which stories get greenlit and who gets to tell them. Pixar has drawn praise for films such as Coco, and fans will be watching whether the new team keeps widening the range of cultures and voices on its slate, including the long-awaited Coco sequel. Read more: Coco Is Getting a Sequel.
