Ramsey Naito To Lead Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon as President , Animation and Development

Ramsey Naito To Lead Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon as President , Animation and Development

September 30th, 2021

Jerry Beck

Paramount Pictures today announced that Ramsey Naito will be leading its animation division as President, Animation & Development, Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. Mireille Soria, President of Paramount Animation, is leaving the organization.

Says Paramount Pictures President and Chief Executive Officer Brian Robbins, “Ramsey is one of the savviest executives and creative minds in our industry. During her time at Nick, she has transformed and reinvigorated the Animation Studio division with her sharp business instincts, deep stable of relationships and unique eye for great storytelling, and I’m thrilled to have her bring her talents to this expanded role where she can further elevate our overall animation business.”

Noted Robbins, “Mireille has been a driving force in building out a new, dynamic and modern chapter of Paramount Animation. We thank her for her many contributions to the organization and wish her the best in her future endeavors.”

Under Naito’s leadership, Nickelodeon Animation launched its largest animation slate in the network’s 40+ year history, feeding its content pipeline across all formats and platforms. Naito has been a driving force in bringing over 70 projects to the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, inked deals with top talent and creators, and forged key partnerships to further bolster Nick’s content across preschool, kids, theatrical and its studio business.

In 2021 alone, Naito has overseen the launches of some of the biggest global television and film franchises in any genre, including: PAW Patrol: The Movie; the expansion of the SpongeBob SquarePants universe with The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and two original spinoffs, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and The Patrick Star Show; Baby Shark; Blue’s Clues & You!; Santiago of the Seas; The Loud House Movie; and Rugrats, which was recently greenlit for a second season.

Ahead, Ramsey will lead animation production on the highly-anticipated Star Trek: Prodigy from Nickelodeon Animation and CBS Studios; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theatrical motion picture, in partnership with Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver, and helmed by Jeff Rowe; original content stemming from the newly formed Avatar Studios, best-selling book adaptations Real Pigeons Fight Crime, produced by James Corden and Ben Winston, and the critically acclaimed Big Nate; Tiny Chef, in partnership with Imagine Kids+Family; an animated series based on Monster High, the iconic franchise in partnership with Mattel; and an original animated Transformers series with Hasbro’s Entertainment One (eOne).

Naito was previously President of Nickelodeon Animation, a role she assumed in September 2020. She joined Nickelodeon Animation in 2018 as Executive Vice President of Animation Production and Development.

Naito produced the Academy Award-nominated feature, The Boss Baby, for DreamWorks Animation, earning her a PGA nomination for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Picture. Prior to DreamWorks Animation, Naito worked for Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon Animation.

Her vast list of executive and producer credits includes Barnyard (2006), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009), The Wild Thornberrys Movie (2002), Hey Arnold! The Movie (2002), Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001), Rugrats in Paris: The Movie (2000), and South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999).

Naito is a member of Women in Animation, the Producers Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Maryland Institute College of Art and her Master of Fine Arts from the California Institute of the Arts.

Soria assumed her role as head of Paramount Animation in 2017. During her time at the studio, she oversaw an ambitious slate of animated films for the studio. Soria was instrumental in the development and production of The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, and shepherded the upcoming films Rumble, a sports comedy about monster wrestling based on a graphic novel; musical adventure Under the Boardwalk; and The Tiger’s Apprentice, based on the best-selling book series, among others. Soria also orchestrated a first-look deal with joint venture Animal Logic (Happy Feet) and Imagine Entertainment, with Imagine’s Ron Howard set to direct The Shrinking of Treehorn, currently in development under the deal.

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Jerry Beck

Writer, cartoon producer and author of more than 15 books on animation history. A former studio exec with Nickelodeon and Disney; currently on the faculty at both CalArts in Valencia and Woodbury University in Burbank, California.