Jonathan Garson, a 30-year Disney veteran whose old Pixar marketing job covered consumer products and theme parks, becomes Pixar's president on Jan. 4, 2027. Jim Morris moves to president emeritus after 21 years at the studio.
Pixar is getting its first new president since 2014, and he's someone who has spent years thinking about Pixar outside the movie theater.
Jonathan Garson, Pixar's general manager, will succeed Jim Morris as president on Jan. 4, 2027, the studio said Wednesday. Morris becomes president emeritus, an honorary title that keeps him around for special projects, mentoring, technology work and Incredibles 3.
Garson will run production and operations, which covers producers, department heads and post-production, Deadline reported. Like Morris, he reports to Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Entertainment Studios. Pete Docter stays on as chief creative officer, so the movies themselves still run through him.
Bergman framed the move as succession planning ahead of Morris' "eventual retirement." He also said he has "enormous respect for his leadership and unwavering commitment to Pixar."
Morris kept his own statement short. "Pixar is in very good hands," he said.
Laughing Place reported the change was planned in advance and isn't tied to Disney's recent buyouts or layoffs.
Who is Jonathan Garson?
A Disney lifer. Garson has worked for the company for more than 30 years, starting in the 1990s as an assistant to the chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, TheWrap reported. His official Pixar bio fills in the rest.
Early Disney years: He handled national promotions, then marketing, synergy and special projects.
2004: Michael Eisner and Bob Iger made him vice president of corporate synergy and special projects for The Walt Disney Company.
Before Pixar: He ran franchise and product management at The Walt Disney Studios.
2010: He joined Pixar as senior vice president of worldwide marketing and franchise.
That Pixar marketing job covered promotions, consumer products, theme parks, archives and exhibitions. So yes, Pixar's next president has had to care about Pixar in the parks. That's more than most studio bosses can say.
Most recently, he's been general manager, running the operations departments alongside Jonas Rivera. Garson said every day at Pixar reminds him "how lucky I am to be a part of it."
What did Jim Morris do at Pixar?
Morris joined Pixar in 2005 and became its second president in November 2014, succeeding Ed Catmull. That's 21 years at the studio and 12 in the top business job.
Before that, he spent 17 years in George Lucas' world. He joined Industrial Light & Magic in 1987 as a visual effects producer, ran ILM as general manager for more than 13 years, and later led Lucas Digital, which oversaw ILM and Skywalker Sound. ILM's credits from his era include The Abyss, Terminator 2, and Jurassic Park.
At Pixar, he produced WALL-E, which won the Oscar for best animated feature. He also produced Disney's live-action John Carter in 2012. We'll leave that one there.
Pixar says its films grossed more than $12 billion worldwide during his tenure, Reuters reported. This year alone, Toy Story 5 passed $1.14 billion and Hoppers made nearly $400 million, TheWrap noted.
What else is changing at Pixar?
Jonas Rivera moves up to executive vice president of creative. He'll oversee the directors, creative VPs and the development, casting and content advisement teams.
Rivera started as Pixar's first production intern in 1994. He has Oscars for producing Inside Out and Toy Story 4. Going forward, he and Docter will serve as executive producers on every Pixar film.
What's the next Pixar movie?
Gatto, due March 5, 2027, will be the first Pixar release with Garson in charge. Ghost Market follows in 2028, then Incredibles 3 on June 16, 2028. Morris stays on that one as executive producer.
Coco 2 is also on the slate for 2029.
Laughing Place counts 52 years in the entertainment business for Morris. If anyone has earned a title with "emeritus" in it, it's the guy who helped make dinosaurs and a lonely trash robot feel real.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Deadline (Nov. 4, 2026), the announcement, effective date, reporting line, new duties, Rivera's promotion and the Morris and Garson quotes
TheWrap (Nov. 4, 2026), Garson's start at Disney, Morris' 21 years at Pixar, and the Toy Story 5 and Hoppers box office
Reuters via Investing.com (Nov. 4, 2026), the $12 billion figure and the upcoming slate
Laughing Place (Nov. 4, 2026), Bergman's quote, the emeritus duties, Morris' 52 years in the business and the note that the move isn't tied to layoffs
Pixar (retrieved Nov. 4, 2026), Garson's and Morris' official bios
Wikipedia (retrieved Nov. 4, 2026), Morris' ILM credits and November 2014 promotion
Variety Australia (March 20, 2025), Coco 2's 2029 release
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