Paramount Animation president Ramsey Naito is leaving the studio. Variety reports that her departure is part of the elimination of 1,000 jobs which happened on Wednesday as the result of the Skydance acquisition of Paramount. David Ellison, the company’s new chairman and CEO, has announced that he’s planning more cuts (approximately 2,000 jobs) in the U.S. with additional layoffs taking place internationally.
Naito was named president of Paramount Animation and President of Nickelodeon Animation in 2021, after being elevated to the latter title in 2020. She joined Nickelodeon Animation in 2018 as EVP of Animation Production & Development, and was considered a major driving force in expanding the studio’s slate through project greenlights, talent and creator partnerships. She launched Nick’s largest animation slate in the network’s 40+ year history with over 70 projects at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and deals with top talent and creators. Naito oversaw day-to-day operations of Nickelodeon’s franchises, including SpongeBob SquarePants and its spinoffs like The Patrick Star Show and Kamp Koral as well as the new Dora the Explorer series, Baby Shark, Blue’s Clues & You, Santiago of the Seas, The Loud House and the new Rugrats.
Under her leadership, Paramount Animation titles included the big screen hits Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which earned over $182 million worldwide in 2023 and generated over a billion dollars in retail sales that year; PAW Patrol: The Movie ($144.3M worldwide) and its sequel PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie ($205.1M); Transformers One ($129.7M); and this summer’s Smurfs ($120.7 M). Paramount’s upcoming slate includes The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (December 19), PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie (July 24, 2026), The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender (Oct. 9, 2026), The Angry Birds Movie 3 (Jan. 29, 2027) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem 2 (Sept. 17, 2027).
Before joining Nickelodeon, Naito, received an Oscar nomination for producing 2017’s Boss Baby at DreamWorks Animation. She was also a producer for Blue Sky Studios, served as Head of Movies at Cartoon Network, and VP of development and production at Nickelodeon Movies. Her many executive and producing credits include Barnyard (2006), The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), 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). She is a rare studio executive who studied art and animation, with a Master of Fine Arts from CalArts, where she focused on sculpture.
A positive force and well-liked, vibrant member of the worldwide animation community, Naito received Animation Magazine’s Hall of Fame award in 2022.
Below is the letter she wrote to her staff today:
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
Sources: Deadline.com, Variety.com
