Jim Morris (film producer)
James Morris is an American film producer, production executive and visual effects producer. He is currently the general manager and president of Pixar. Previously, he held key positions at Industrial Light & Magic for 17 years.
Education and early career
Morris graduated from the Tower Hill School in Wilmington, Delaware in 1973. In 1977, Morris earned a Bachelor of Science degree in film, and in 1978 a Master of Science degree in television/radio, from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.Morris began his career with local television studios, followed by working on TV commercials. He started as a cameraman and editor at NBC affiliate WSYR-TV. During this time, he independently produced and directed the award-winning documentary The Stag Hotel. He then worked at PBS affiliate WCNY-TV, where he wrote and produced the educational series Behind the Wheel as well as the Jim Lehrer-hosted documentary Old Folks at Home and Journey to the Mountain. During this same period, Morris wrote, directed and produced the independent documentary Snapshot. In 1980, Morris moved to San Francisco and worked as an editor at KTVU-TV in Oakland, after which he moved on to the production departments at advertising agencies J. Walter Thompson, and Foote, Cone & Belding. Morris was named executive producer heading the commercial production department at the innovative post-production facility One Pass, and then became the executive producer at Arnold & Associates, producing national commercials for clients such as Atari and Chevron. While at Arnold & Associates, Morris received an NEA Grant to write, direct and produce the independent documentary Rehearsal.
Industrial Light & Magic
In 1987, Morris joined ILM as a producer of visual effects for films and commercials, working on, amongst others, Steven Spielberg's Always and James Cameron's The Abyss, which earned an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. He was subsequently promoted to be ILM's executive in charge of production, supervising all the company's production, and then ILM's general manager, supervising more than 1,400 artists and technicians and guiding the largest visual effects facility in the industry, a post he held for 13 years. During this period, ILM's innovations resulting in Academy Awards included the pioneering use of computer-generated characters in Jurassic Park, realistic digital skin in Death Becomes Her, Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Forrest Gump. Other ILM projects he managed from the period include Mission: Impossible, Twister, Saving Private Ryan, Star Wars Episodes I and II, The Perfect Storm, Pearl Harbor, Minority Report, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Master and Commander, and three Harry Potter films. ILM worked on over 160 films during this period.Morris was president of Lucas Digital Ltd. for 11 years, and managed its two divisions, ILM and Skywalker Sound. Additionally, Morris oversaw Lucasfilm Animation from 2000 to 2005.
Pixar
Morris joined Pixar Animation Studios in 2005. He was producer of Pixar's critically acclaimed 2008 film, WALL-E, and was responsible for managing the production of the studio's features, shorts, DVD content, and theme park activities. In 2008 he was named as general manager for Pixar Animation Studios.Morris was producer of Disney's 2012 film John Carter.
On November 18, 2014, he was named as president of Pixar Animation Studios, succeeding Edwin Catmull. In August 2019, former Walt Disney Animation Studios head Andrew Millstein was named as co-president of Blue Sky Studios, while Morris would also be taking a supervising role over Millstein.
Industry roles and awards
Morris served for many years as president of the San Francisco Film Commission. He was a 2009 recipient of the Producers Guild of America Digital 25 Award. Morris was the founding chair of the Visual Effect Society, and served in that role for two terms. He received the Visual Effects Society's board of directors Award in 2006, a Lifetime Membership in 2007, and their Founders Award in 2010 and was made a VES Fellow in 2016. For WALL-E, Morris was awarded Producers Guild of America's 2009 Producer of the Year for Animated Motion Pictures, the 2008 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, a 2008 American Film Institute Award for one of the 10 best films of the year, the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film and a Visual Effects Society Award. Morris is an active member in the VES, BAFTA, the Producers Guild and AMPAS, where he serves as a member of the Finance Committee. In 2021, Morris received the George Arents Award, Syracuse University's highest alumni honor.Filmography
Caddyshack II The Burbs Skin Deep The Abyss Always The Hunt for Red October Joe Versus the Volcano Back to the Future Part III Total Recall Die Hard 2 Ghost Arachnophobia Dreams Kindergarten Cop The Godfather: Part III Flight of the Intruder The Doors Switch Backdraft Hudson Hawk The Rocketeer Terminator 2: Judgment Day Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Hook Memoirs of an Invisible Man Death Becomes Her The Public Eye Toys Alive Fire in the Sky Jurassic Park Last Action Hero Rising Sun The Meteor Man The Nutcracker Schindler's List The Hudsucker Proxy Maverick The Flintstones Wolf Baby's Day Out Forrest Gump The Mask Radioland Murders Star Trek Generations Disclosure In the Mouth of Madness Casper Congo Village of the Damned The Indian in the Cupboard The American President Jumanji Sabrina Twister Mission: Impossible Dragonheart Eraser Special Effects: Anything Can Happen Sleepers Star Trek: First Contact 101 Dalmatians Daylight Mars Attacks! Star Wars: A New Hope Special Edition Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Special Edition Star Wars: Return of the Jedi Special Edition The Lost World: Jurassic Park Speed 2: Cruise Control Men in Black Contact Spawn Starship Troopers Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Flubber Deconstructing Harry Titanic Amistad Deep Rising Mercury Rising Deep Impact Small Soldiers Saving Private Ryan Snake Eyes Reach the Rock Meet Joe Black Celebrity Jack Frost Mighty Joe Young October Sky The Mummy Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace Wild Wild West The Haunting Deep Blue Sea Bringing Out the Dead Sleepy Hollow The Green Mile Galaxy Quest Snow Falling Magnolia Mission to Mars The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle The Perfect Storm Space Cowboys Pay It Forward Sweet and Lowdown The Pledge Sweet November The Mummy Returns Pollock Pearl Harbor A.I. Artificial Intelligence Jurassic Park III Planet of the Apes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone The Majestic Impostor The Time Machine Big Trouble Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Minority Report The Bourne Identity Men in Black II Blood Work K-19: The Widowmaker Signs E.T. - 20th Anniversary Punch-Drunk Love Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Gangs of New York Tears of the Sun The Hunted Dreamcatcher Hulk Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Once Upon a Time in Mexico Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Timeline Stuck on You Peter Pan Along Came Polly Twisted Hidalgo Van Helsing The Day After Tomorrow Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban The Chronicles of Riddick The Village The Bourne Supremacy Artifact from the Future: The Making of THX 1138 Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events Are We There Yet? Son of the Mask The Pacifier xXx: State of the Union Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith War of the Worlds The Island Jarhead Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Ratatouille WALL-E Up Toy Story 3 Cars 2 John Carter Brave Monsters University Inside Out The Good Dinosaur Finding Dory Cars 3 Coco Incredibles 2 Toy Story 4 Onward Soul Luca Turning Red Lightyear Elemental Inside Out 2- ''Elio''