The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has extended invitations to 529 new members for its 2026 class — and the list carries an unusual headline name alongside its expected roster of actors and filmmakers: new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro.

Who’s In the 2026 Class

D’Amaro is joined in this year’s invitee list by a wave of recognizable names from in front of and behind the camera. Leading the actors’ branch additions are breakout stars Jacob Elordi and Teyana Taylor, alongside established names Jenna Ortega and Jon Bernthal.

The broader actors’ branch list reads like a cross-section of the past year’s biggest film conversations: “Frankenstein” stars Jacob Elordi and Mia Goth both earned invitations, as did Jenna Ortega for her work in “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Death of a Unicorn,” “Weapons” star Julia Garner, and “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” lead Josh O’Connor. Rounding out the branch are Paddy Considine, Simu Liu, Anthony Ramos, Scoot McNairy, Tig Notaro, Bill Skarsgård, Wood Harris, and character-actor mainstays Jon Bernthal, David Dastmalchian, and Jemaine Clement.

Several long-tenured industry figures also received invitations that many observers felt were overdue, including both Safdie brothers — Benny Safdie (also nominated as a director/writer) and Josh Safdie — along with “Sirāt” filmmaker Oliver Laxe, who received invitations spanning both the directors’ and writers’ branches.

By the Numbers

This year’s class includes 95 Oscar nominees, 21 of whom are Oscar winners, along with three recipients of Scientific and Technical Awards. The total of 529 invitations is slightly down from last year’s 534, though the Academy emphasized that the composition of the class, not just its size, is the bigger story.

According to the Academy’s own breakdown, 42% of this year’s invitees are women, 56% come from underrepresented communities, and 53% are based outside the United States, spanning 60 different countries and territories — a meaningful increase from the 45% underrepresented-community figure reported in the 2025 class.

Should every invitee formally accept, total Academy membership — including emeritus members — would climb to 11,319, with 10,338 of those classified as active voting members. Under that scenario, the Academy’s overall membership would stand at 36% women, 25% from underrepresented communities, and 22% international.

“We are delighted to invite this remarkable group of film artists and professionals from around the world to join the Academy,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor in a joint statement. “Through their commitment to filmmaking, this year’s exceptionally talented class has made significant contributions to our global movie industry.”

Why Josh D’Amaro’s Invitation Stands Out

While studio executives joining the Academy isn’t unprecedented, D’Amaro’s invitation lands at a notable moment for Disney. Having stepped into the CEO role as part of the company’s broader succession plans, his Academy membership effectively cements his standing as one of the industry’s most influential voices — giving him a direct vote in the very awards process that helps shape the prestige and box-office fortunes of Disney’s own film slate, including output from Marvel Studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Walt Disney Pictures.

For a studio chief this early into a new leadership tenure, the invitation functions as a notable industry signal: it places D’Amaro inside the same voting body — and informally, the same conversations — as the directors, actors, and craftspeople whose work his studio finances, distributes, and campaigns for during awards season.

What Happens Next

Academy membership isn’t automatic — each invitee must formally accept before their membership is confirmed, after which they join the voting body responsible for nominating and selecting future Oscar winners across every awards category. With several of this year’s invitees, including D’Amaro, Elordi, Ortega, Taylor, and Bernthal, representing both major studio leadership and some of the industry’s most in-demand performers, the 2026 class reflects the Academy’s continued effort to widen its membership across both creative and executive ranks of the film business.

Imtiaz Ali’s Partition-era drama Main Vaapas Aaunga, starring Diljit Dosanjh, Sharvari, Vedang Raina, and Naseeruddin Shah, released on June 12 and has been steadily building word-of-mouth despite a soft opening day. The film drew online criticism from some social media users who accused it of being “anti-national” over how it portrays Pakistan.

Composer AR Rahman responded on Wednesday by sharing a satirical Instagram post that mocked the criticism, reacting with a laughing emoji. The mock post’s headline jabbed at critics for objecting to a film that dared to depict Pakistan without the usual terrorist or spy tropes.

The film marks Rahman’s fifth collaboration with director Imtiaz Ali, following Rockstar, Highway, Tamasha, and Amar Singh Chamkila, with lyricist Irshad Kamil again on the soundtrack. The story is a multi-generational Hindi period romantic drama centered on the 1947 Partition of India.

This has solid hooks for a news segment: a respected, generally apolitical composer publicly trolling online critics, a Partition-themed film stirring nationalism debates, and an A-list cast (Diljit Dosanjh’s a big draw right now). It’s fresh — broke just hours ago — and has the controversy angle that tends to drive engagement.

Netflix used this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival to pull back the curtain on one of its biggest animation showcases yet, unveiling fresh footage, first-look images, and confirmed release dates for a slate that spans anime, franchise revivals, and original auteur-driven features. The presentation, held on the festival’s main stage, has been described as one of the most-watched Annecy showcases in recent years.

The One Piece: A Fresh Anime Retelling From the Beginning

Among the biggest reveals was the debut teaser for THE ONE PIECE, a brand-new anime adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s globally beloved manga. Produced by WIT Studio, the series will retell the East Blue Saga from the very start, offering newcomers a fresh entry point into Luffy’s journey while running entirely separate from the original TV anime that has aired for more than 25 years.

Series director Masashi Koizuka explained the creative approach behind the new version, describing the story as both emotional and inspiring while emphasizing its roots as a naval action-adventure about a boy chasing his dream of becoming King of the Pirates. Koizuka added that the project aimed to capture the awe and scale of Luffy’s “uncharted waters,” using modern animation technology to bring that vision to life. Netflix also confirmed that veteran voice actor Mayumi Tanaka will reprise her role as the Japanese voice of Luffy. THE ONE PIECE is targeting a February 2027 global release.

Ghostbusters: Night Shift Brings the Franchise to a New Generation

Sony Pictures Animation took the stage to unveil the first-look images and concept art for Ghostbusters: Night Shift, an animated young-adult series set between the original Ghostbusters films and the more recent Afterlife era.

Set in New York City in 1994, the series follows a group of inexperienced young New Yorkers who find themselves “untrained, underappreciated, and kinda sorta responsible” for a fresh wave of supernatural terror hitting the city five years after the events of the earlier films. The project carries serious franchise pedigree behind the camera, with executive producers including Jason Reitman, Gil Kenan, Ben Hibon, Elliott Kalan, Amie Karp, and original Ghostbusters co-creator Dan Aykroyd. The series is targeting a 2027 release.

Brad Bird’s 30-Years-in-the-Making “Ray Gunn” Gets a December Release Date

Perhaps the most personal showcase of the event came from two-time Academy Award winner Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, The Iron Giant), who took the stage for an in-depth conversation with fellow Oscar winner and recently knighted Aardman co-founder Peter Lord to discuss his long-gestating passion project, Ray Gunn.

Set in Metropia — a sprawling alternate-future metropolis envisioned through the lens of 1939 — the sci-fi noir film follows private investigator Raymond Gunn as he’s pulled into a case involving aliens, murder, and a scandal-plagued multimedia superstar named Venus Nova. Bird revealed the concept has been percolating in his mind for more than 30 years, predating even The Iron Giant.

Sam Rockwell voices the title character, with Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson as Venus Nova and Tom Waits rounding out the cast. Johansson called working with Bird “a career milestone,” adding that the project represents “a total realization of where Brad is currently on his artistic journey.” Produced by Skydance Animation, Ray Gunn is scheduled to premiere globally on Netflix on December 18, 2026.

More Highlights From the Showcase

The Annecy presentation also offered updates across several other animated projects in Netflix’s pipeline:

• Steps — A fairy tale reimagining that flips the classic Cinderella story by putting her stepsisters Lilith (Ali Wong) and Margot (Stephanie Hsu) at the center, as they steal the Fairy Godmother’s (Bette Midler) wand and upend the kingdom. Directed by Alyce Tzue and John Ripa, the film is set for a November 20, 2026 release.
• Charlie vs the Chocolate Factory — New footage was shown from this reimagining featuring Taika Waititi as Wonka and Kit Connor leading a new generation of teenage characters, directed by Jared Stern and Elaine Bogan.
• Alley Cats — Ricky Gervais previewed his new adult animated comedy series ahead of a dedicated festival masterclass, with a voice cast including Gervais himself alongside David Earl, Diane Morgan, and Jo Hartley. The series is set for an August 7, 2026 release.
• In Waves — A romantic drama from director Phuong Mai Nguyen also received a fresh look during the showcase.

Why This Slate Matters for Netflix’s Animation Ambitions

The announcements arrive on the back of what Netflix has called an unprecedented year for its animation division. The streamer pointed to the historic success of KPop Demon Hunters, which won two Academy Awards and became Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, spending over a year on its Global Top 10 chart. Netflix also highlighted 13 Annie Award wins across its slate, including three for Love, Death + Robots, along with an Emmy win for Ultraman: Rising.

According to Netflix, more than 130 million members worldwide watch some form of animated content on the platform every month, while its anime programming alone surpassed 1.5 billion views in 2025. With a combination of original auteur-driven films, major franchise revivals, and a renewed anime push, Netflix’s latest slate reveal signals the company is leaning further into animation as a long-term growth pillar rather than a side category — one capable of competing directly with traditional theatrical animation studios.