Nickelodeon Animation president Ramsey Naito will add oversight of Paramount Pictures Animation to her job portfolio after being tapped Thursday to lead that unit of the movie studio. 

As president of animation and development for Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, Naito will oversee all projects for the film studio as well as for the kids-targeted cable network, where she has served as president since last year. Naito replaces current Paramount Animation president Mireille Soria, who is leaving the company. 

Naito, who joined Nickelodeon Animation in 2018, has orchestrated the launch of the network's largest animation slate in network history, feeding its content pipeline across all formats and platforms. In 2021 alone Naito has overseen the launch of such projects as PAW Patrol: The Movie; 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 renewed for a second season. 

Read Also: The Five Spot: Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation 

“Ramsey is one of the savviest executives and creative minds in our industry,”  Paramount Pictures president and CEO Brian Robbins said in a statement. “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.” 

Naito will now oversee several upcoming projects for both Paramount and Nickelodeon, including Star Trek: Prodigy from Nickelodeon Animation and CBS Studios; the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theatrical motion picture, best selling book adaptations of Big Nate and Real Pigeons Fight Crime, an original Transformers series and an animated series based on the Monster High franchise. 

Soria had led the Paramount Animation division since 2017. ”Mireille has been a driving force in building out a new, dynamic and modern chapter of Paramount Animation,“ Robbins said. ”We thank her for her many contributions to the organization and wish her the best in her future endeavors.“   

Nickelodeon will team with Point Grey Pictures’ Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg and James Weaver to develop a new animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theatrical motion picture, the network said Tuesday.

“Adding Seth, Evan and James’ genius to the humor and action that’s already an integral part of TMNT is going to make this a next-level reinvention of the property,” said ViacomCBS president of Kids & Family Brian Robbins in a statement. “I’m looking forward to see what they do, and I know that Ramsey Naito and her team are excited to take the Nick Animation Studio into another great direction with their first-ever CG-animated theatrical.”

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theatrical motion picture will be directed by Jeff Rowe (Gravity Falls, Connected, Disenchantment) and written by Brendan O’Brian (Neighbors, Sorority Rising, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates).

Nickelodeon in 2012 created a new version of the franchise with the CG-animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and then re-imagined the Heroes with the 2D-animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 2019.

Nickelodeon has renewed its new animated series Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles more than a month in advance of the series’ premiere.

The series, which follows the brother turtles – Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey – as they discover new powers and encounters, will debut its 26-episode freshman season Sept. 17 on the network. The second season will also feature 26 episodes, according to Nickelodeon executives.

Nickelodeon also announced the renewals of several live-action series including Henry Danger (season five), Knight Squad (season two), The Dude Perfect Show (season three) and Hunter Street (season three).

Nickelodeon will resurrect its 1990s pre-school series Blues Clues, part of the more than 800 episodes of new and returning series slated in the upcoming year, the networks announced prior to its Tuesday evening upfront presentation.

The additional episodes – up 20% from last year – is part of the network’s overall strategy of giving it target kids audience an opportunity to experience its content on a variety of platforms and through new technologies such as virtual reality and location-based experiences. 

Among the new shows to hit Nickelodeon in 2018 and 2019 is a remake of Blues Clues, featuring the original animated puppy Blue and an as yet revealed new live-action host, according to the network. The series ran on Nick Jr. from 1996 to 2006 

Also making a comeback to Nickelodeon is a spinoff of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The animated Rise Of The Mutant Ninja Turtles series will feature the voice of WWE superstar John Cena as villain Baron Draxum, according to the network.

Other new series include Los Casagrandes, a spinoff from the network’s animated series The Loud House featuring show characters Ronnie Anne and his brother Bobby Santiago; and Pony, an animated buddy comedy that follows the life of an average girl whose talking pony comes to live with her and her family.

On the live-action front, new shows include Keep It Spotless, a competition series from the WWE’s John Cena; Knight Squad, a comedy set at a magical school for knights in training; and Musical Dares, a short-form series that features a new twist on the classic concept of musical chairs. 

Signature Nickelodeon series returning with new episodes include Spongebob Squarepants, The Loud House, Henry Danger, The Thundermans and Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn.

Nickelodeon also announced a new partnership with IMAX to bring its multi-player, virtual reality offering SlimeZone to select IMAX VR Centres globally this month.

Nickelodeon Group President Cyma Zarghami said the network’s rollout of new content and new technological advances represent the network’s efforts to “reinvent” itself for a new generation of audiences accessing content on new generation platforms. While the network is not abandoning its linear TV roots, she said the network has to reach kids where they are with content they want.

“Great IP will take viewers to every platform,” she said. “That’s not to say we’re leaning one way or the other; it is to say that unlike five or 10 years ago when something works, it works everywhere. The reach you get with linear, even with a diminishing universe is still a significant audience.”