Veteran publicist Melissa Stone has been raised to SVP, Publicity at The Walt Disney Studios.
Stone was previously, VP of Publicity at Walt Disney Studios.
In her new position, Stone will lead publicity and oversee the global PR strategy for the studio’s production labels Disney Live Action, Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios, as well as Disney+.
Stone will report to Martha Morrison, President of Studios Marketing.
Stone counts more than two decades of experience, including 14 years spanning Fox and Disney, working on blockbusters, awards contenders, theatrical and streaming fare.
Her credits include campaigns for Avatar: The Way of Water, Lilo & Stitch, The Little Mermaid, Mufasa, Barbarian, the Planet of the Apes franchise, Ford v Ferrari, West Side Story and The Martian, as well as Disney+ and Hulu titles including Lucasfilm’s Emmy-winning Andor.
Said Morrison, “I’m thrilled to have Melissa step into this role. She brings more than two decades of exceptional publicity experience, a deep network of talent and media relationships, and a proven ability to lead campaigns that drive both audience engagement and cultural impact. I look forward to seeing her lead publicity across our incredible Studios portfolio.”
Other titles on the 2026 schedule include 20th Century Studios’ The Dog Stars, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hexed over Thanksgiving and Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday on Dec. 18.
Disney has been the No. 1 studio in nine of the last ten years. This weekend, Disney unwraps their future year-end, 2027 and beyond slate at D23 fan confab in Anaheim.
