Pixar Names Jonathan Garson President as Jim Morris Moves to Emeritus Role

Pixar Animation Studios will get a new president in the new year. Jonathan Garson, the studio's general manager and a Disney employee of more than 30 years, will take over as president on Jan. 4, 2027, succeeding Jim Morris, who is moving into a president emeritus role after 12 years in the job, according to an announcement by The Walt Disney Company on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, reported by Variety, Deadline and Animation World Network.

The change was announced by Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Entertainment Studios. Garson and Morris will both report to Bergman. Pete Docter remains Pixar's chief creative officer, and longtime producer Jonas Rivera moves into an expanded executive vice president of creative role, according to Animation World Network.

What Garson Will Oversee

As president, Garson will oversee all production and operations at Pixar, including its producers, department heads and post-production, working in partnership with Docter, Variety reported. Garson joined Pixar in 2010 and most recently served as its general manager. Before that, he led the studio's marketing and franchise team. Deadline reported that 16 of his years at Disney have involved working closely with Pixar's leadership, filmmakers and creative teams.

"I still remember seeing 'Toy Story' for the first time – never imagining I'd one day work at Pixar, let alone step into a leadership role such as this," Garson said in a statement quoted by Variety. "Every day I walk in the door here, I'm reminded just how special this place is and how lucky I am to be a part of it."

Bergman said in the same announcement that Garson has "proven to be an exceptional leader with a strong sense of what makes Pixar unique and how its storytelling comes to life in so many ways for fans, and Pete Docter and I are excited for him to step into this role."

Deadline noted that the reporting structure itself is not new: Pixar's president has historically reported to the chairman of Disney's studio group rather than to the studio's creative chief.

Morris Steps Back From Day-to-Day Leadership

Morris joined Pixar in 2005 after a long career at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, where he served as ILM's general manager and later as president of Lucas Digital Ltd. He was named Pixar president in 2014, succeeding Ed Catmull, the studio's first president. According to the studio, Pixar's feature films generated more than $12 billion at the global box office during his tenure, Variety reported.

In the emeritus role, Morris will continue as executive producer of "Incredibles 3," which Deadline reported is set for theaters on June 16, 2028. He will also focus on talent development and mentoring across Pixar and Walt Disney Studios, as well as technology initiatives meant to support the studios' storytellers and artists, according to Variety.

"Leading Pixar has been the privilege of a lifetime, and I'm honored to have been a steward of its legacy alongside extraordinary artists, storytellers, and technologists who keep redefining what animation can do and expanding the art of cinema," Morris said. "After 52 years in the business, and almost 40 at Lucasfilm and Pixar, I'll be stepping back from the day-to-day, but I'm thrilled to move into handling a number of special projects, working alongside my friends Pete, Jonathan, and Jonas at Pixar, and of course Alan Bergman, who has been such a supporter of Pixar throughout the years."

Morris added that he could not "think of anyone better than Jonathan to carry the legacy of this beloved studio forward," calling him "a Pixar person through and through," according to Animation World Network.

Bergman described the move as planned succession. "Having worked closely with Jim Morris for more than 20 years, I have enormous respect for his leadership and unwavering commitment to Pixar and its people," he said. "He's not only a tremendous partner in business but a great friend. As we prepare for his eventual retirement, this transition will ensure a smooth succession for the team."

Deadline reported that it understands Morris's transition had long been in the works and is not part of the voluntary buyout offers Disney has extended to longtime executives as the company cuts its workforce.

Rivera's Expanded Creative Role

Rivera will move to full-time creative oversight of Pixar's films alongside Docter. He will oversee the studio's directors, creative vice presidents, and its development, casting and content advisement departments, and he and Docter will executive produce every Pixar film, Animation World Network reported.

Rivera started at Pixar as its first production intern in 1994 and has worked on almost every Pixar release since. He won Academy Awards for "Inside Out" and "Toy Story 4," earned a best picture nomination for "Up," his first feature as producer, and executive produced 2024's "Inside Out 2," which Variety described as the studio's biggest global hit. He was named executive vice president of film production in 2022.

"I am deeply honored to step into this new role alongside Pete, partnering with him and Jonathan to support our incredible filmmakers and artists," Rivera said. "Jim has been an extraordinary mentor and leader, and I intend to build on the lessons I learned from him as we look toward our next chapter."

Pixar's Upcoming Slate

The leadership change comes after Pixar released "Hoppers" and "Toy Story 5," which Variety and Animation World Network described as a billion-dollar hit after its worldwide release in June. The studio's next two features are originals: "Gatto," scheduled for March 5, 2027, and "Ghost Market," scheduled for March 10, 2028, according to Animation World Network. "Incredibles 3" follows in June 2028.

Sources

• Variety: Pixar Names Jonathan Garson as President; Jim Morris Moves to Emeritus Role
• Deadline: Pixar President Change, Jonathan Garson Replaces Jim Morris
• Animation World Network: Jonathan Garson to Succeed Jim Morris as Pixar President