Melissa Stone has been named senior VP of publicity for the Walt Disney Studios.

She will lead the publicity team and oversee the PR strategy across theatrical, including Disney Live Action, Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios, as well as Disney+ streaming series. Stone will report to Martha Morrison, the president of marketing at the studio.

“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,” Morrison said in a statement. “I look forward to seeing her lead publicity across our incredible Studios portfolio.” 

A veteran publicist, Stone has spent 14 years in publicity roles at Fox and Disney. She most recently served as VP of global publicity at Disney after working as a senior publicity at 20th Century Fox. She has led global campaigns including “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Planet of the Apes” franchise, “The Martian,” “West Side Story” and “Andor.”

Disney’s upcoming theatrical slate includes Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” with Jacob Elordi and Margaret Qualley, the animated “Hexed” and Marvel’s “Avengers: Doomsday.” Stone’s focus beyond 2026 will encompass titles like “Ice Age 5,” Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy’s “Star Wars: Starfighter,” “The Simpsons Movie 2,” “Frozen III” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.”