As Paramount begins cleaning house under new CEO David Ellison, Paramount Animation‘s President Ramsey Naito is the new to step down from the company.
Previously the head of Nickelodeon Animation, where she launched its largest animation slate in the network’s 40+ year history with over 70 projects at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio, and deals with leading talent and creators, Naito added President of Paramount Animation to her title in September 2021. Naito took over for Mireille Soria, who lead the motion picture studio’s animation arm.
In 2021 alone, Naito was upped from EVP of Animation Production and Development for the Nickelodeon Group to President of Nickelodeon Animation, overseeing the launches of such global television and film franchises as 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.
During her run at Paramount Animation, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles received a new life under Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which grossed close to $182M worldwide and $1 billion in retail sales that calendar year for the brand. There was an attempt to take Transformers into the feature cartoon space with Transformers One, however, it played to a much younger demo than the older fanboy fanbase, minting only $129M at the global box office. There was also the release of SpinMaster’s Paw Patrol movies in 2021 and 2023, which minted close to $350M combined. A third movie in that franchise, Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, is due out next year on Aug. 14. Also out of Naito’s division is The Last Airbender: Legend of Aang on Oct. 9, 2026, The Angry Birds Movie 3 on Jan. Dec. 23, 2026, and another Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated pic slated for Sept. 17, 2027.
Word was in early August that Naito would stay on post–merger to lead Paramount Animation. Meanwhile, Skydance Animation, under John Lasseter and Holly Edwards, wasn’t merged with Paramount Animation, rather kept separate, as that unit has a Netflix output discount commitment. It’s clear that in the new order of the Ellison-run conglom, he wants a fresh C-suite of executives, read Global Marketing & Distribution Boss Marc Weinstock and Domestic Distribution President—who were behind the success of the studio’s highest grossing movie, leading Gun: Maverick ($1.49 billion)—departed as a new head of worldwide marketing and distribution arrived, that being former Warner Bros and Universal vet, Josh Goldstine.
Naito is part of 1,000 cuts that happened today as the new Skydance-owned Paramount looks to achieve $2 billion in savings. Deadline first learned about other motion picture exits today including President of Worldwide beat Randy Spendlove, SVP of Production Bryan Oh, EVP of Production Geoff Stier, EVP of Home Entertainment Andres Alvarez, EVP of International Theatrical Marketing Rachel Cadden, SVP of Multicultural Marketing Christine Benitez and SVP of Literary Affairs Phil Cohen.
Below is Naito’s note to staff this evening:
Team,
I want to share with you that I am leaving the company and closing this very special chapter with all of you. Leading this incredible team of talented storytellers, artists and dreamers, and watching the magic that you’ve spun from your imagination and dedication, has been one of the great joys of my career.
I am so proud of the work the animation teams and I have done for the last 8+ years. I am honored to have given new life and love to the beloved characters and stories within the vast Paramount and Nickelodeon libraries—from SpongeBob to PAW Patrol to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—and the birth of a whole new slate of originals for today’s generation.
Not only am I endlessly proud of what we’ve built, but even more so the spirit behind it — the collaboration, creativity, and kindness that define this team. Though I’m moving on, I’ll always be cheering you on (and singing along to the PAW Patrol theme or humming the TMNT riff when I see your work lighting up screens everywhere).
Thank you to Josh, Dana and the fantastic leadership team who I know will keep propelling our animation business to great heights.
With love and appreciation,
Ramsey
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