Pixar has chosen continuity for its leadership handover. Starting January 4, 2027, Jonathan Garson will take over the presidency of the Emeryville studio, succeeding Jim Morris, who will step down from day-to-day management to become president emeritus. However, this is not merely a transition between two executives: Disney has also reshuffled the structure around creative leadership, promoting producer Jonas Rivera to executive vice president of creative and confirming Pete Docter in the role of chief creative officer.
The move comes at the end of Morris's twelve years as president and twenty-one overall at Pixar. The executive, who joined the studio in 2005 after an extensive career at Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, will remain tied to strategic projects: he will serve as executive producer on Incredibles 3, oversee talent development for both Pixar and Walt Disney Studios, and work on technological initiatives. The new role therefore does not signify an immediate departure, but rather a transition that preserves expertise and institutional memory as the studio prepares for its next phase.
Like Morris, Garson will report to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman. In his new role, he will work alongside Docter in overseeing production and operational activities. Rivera, on the other hand, will work more closely with Docter on shaping the films: directors, creative vice presidents, development, casting, and content advisement. Docter and Rivera will serve as executive producers on all Pixar feature films, while production leadership will continue to be headed by Katherine Sarafian and Lindsey Collins.
A president who rose through Disney and Pixar
Garson brings with him a career spanning more than three decades across the Disney galaxy. Prior to joining Pixar in 2010, he held roles at The Walt Disney Studios, including vice president of franchise and product management. It was work that was less visible to the public than film production, but vital for a group that must coordinate theatrical releases, licensing, parks, promotional content, and long-term planning around its flagship properties.
At Pixar, Garson led global marketing and franchises, later taking on operational responsibilities as general manager. His remit also covered consumer products, theme parks, archives, exhibitions, creative services, and promotional materials. It is a profile that understands the studio's industrial pipeline well beyond theatrical distribution, and this very experience helps contextualize Disney's choice: the president will not be called upon to replace Docter in terms of ideas and directing, but to bring together production execution, resource management, and the long-term value of Pixar brands.
For a major studio, and for Pixar in particular, the line is delicate. Franchises are a necessary lever in a market where animation must bear high costs and find audiences across multiple release windows. At the same time, the studio built its reputation on the ability to bring to life worlds and characters with a distinct auteur identity. The division of duties announced by Disney suggests an intention not to concentrate these two demands in a single figure: Garson will oversee production and operations with Docter, while Rivera will strengthen the direct connection with those developing and making the films.
Rivera expands the weight of production in the creative process
Jonas Rivera's promotion deserves as much attention as Garson's. Rivera joined Pixar in 1994 as its first production intern and has worked on nearly all of the studio's titles. As a producer, he won Oscars for Inside Out and Toy Story 4; until now, he was executive vice president of production, overseeing feature film production.
The move to executive vice president of creative formally shifts his experience into the decision-making chain that guides filmmakers from the development phase through casting choices and content definition. Pixar is not changing its chief creative officer, nor is it announcing a new editorial direction, but it is providing a more structured link between creative ambition and practical execution. In an industry where an animated film takes years of work, the effectiveness of that connection bears on both artistic consistency and the ability to meet deadlines and budgets.
Continuity with Morris is also evident in Rivera and Garson taking on roles that have already developed internally. Disney did not seek an external president, nor did it overhaul the creative pipeline just months before the new setup takes effect. It is a cautious choice, bolstered by the fact that Garson has worked closely with Morris and Docter over the past sixteen years and that Rivera has known the organization since its earliest days. In this sense, January 4 will mark a shift in responsibilities rather than a break in strategy.
The succession arrives with a demanding schedule
The reorganization coincides with a major turning point for the line-up. The latest installment of Toy Story, released in the summer of 2026, surpassed one billion dollars at the global box office according to figures released by the studio. It is an outcome that reaffirms the commercial weight of Pixar's legacy franchises and makes the upcoming Incredibles 3 even more significant, slated for 2028 and directed by Peter Sohn from a script by Brad Bird. Morris will remain involved as executive producer, ensuring direct continuity with the previous presidency.
First will come Gatto, the new feature film by Enrico Casarosa, director of Luca, with a release date set for March 5, 2027. The film follows a black cat in superstitious Venice and will feature Mark Ruffalo in the voice cast. In 2028, Pixar also plans Ghost Market, a spooky-themed adventure directed by Trevor Jimenez and Jesse Andrews. The schedule thus alternates between a new original project, another title detached from the core franchises, and the return of The Incredibles: a balance that will serve as the first visible testing ground for the Garson-Docter-Rivera team.
The animation market remains less straightforward than in the years when Pixar could rely on an almost automatic run of theatrical hits. Audience habits have shifted due to the centrality of streaming, while major brands retain an edge in international recognition. For Disney, the challenge lies not only in protecting established properties, but in ensuring that original films find their space, adequate marketing, and a sustainable commercial trajectory. Garson's track record across franchises and marketing will prove valuable precisely here, provided the organization preserves the necessary autonomy for creative teams.
Morris noted that he has 52 years in the industry under his belt, nearly forty of which were spent between Lucasfilm and Pixar. During his tenure, Pixar films grossed over $12 billion at the worldwide box office. These figures explain the significance of the succession, but they do not alone define the legacy at stake: Pixar is simultaneously a creative studio, a complex production powerhouse, and an essential pillar of Disney's lineup. The new leadership team will have to measure up across all three dimensions, without being able to rely on the novelty effect of a radical overhaul.
For now, Disney has mapped out a clear course: Morris remains available for key projects and talent development; Docter retains creative oversight; Rivera gains a broader voice in shaping the films; Garson takes charge of operations and the presidency. The consequences on screen will only become apparent with the titles currently in development, but the lineup at the helm makes it clear right away that Pixar will navigate the post-Morris era by banking on internal expertise and distributed leadership.
