Talks

HEXED

YVETT MERINO is the first producer in animation history to have two animated features in a row exceed over a billion dollars at the box office with Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2026 “Zootopia 2,” and the 2025 record-breaking hit, “Moana 2.” “Zootopia 2” is the #1 MPA animated feature of all time and for her work on the film, Merino received the BAFTA and NAACP Image Awards. 

Merino is also the first Latina to receive the Oscar® for Animated Feature for her producing work on “Encanto.” She also received the Producers Guild of America Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe for the film.

In 2023, Merino also produced the Emmy Award®-winning Disney Animation 100^th anniversary short film, “Once Upon a Studio.”

Merino first came to Disney Animation more than 30 years ago and has worked in a variety of production capacities on some of the most popular animated features of all time. Launching her Disney Animation career in the Technology department, she moved into the world of Production as a supervisor on “Tangled” and continued in that role on “The Lion King 3D,” “Wreck It Ralph” and in Disney Animation’s Development department. She then went on to serve as production manager on the Oscar®-winning feature, “Big Hero 6,” as well as the Oscar®-nominated “Moana.” 

Merino was also a part of the team that started Voces@Disney, the Studio’s first Latino/a employee resource group, where she served as co-president for two years. She currently serves as the Executive Champion to HOLA – Disney Animation’s own employee resource group focusing on the Latino/a community. 

Merino lives in Los Angeles, Calif., with her family. She holds an MBA from Loyola Marymount University and an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.