Former Disney exec David Stainton has been tapped by Paramount to head up its new in-house Animation division, which is expected to churn out its first big-budget title by 2014.

Stainton will hit the ground running as president of the new division this week. He will work to create  CGI-animated films budgeted at up to US$100 million per picture. The division will also work on titles under the Nickelodeon label and will also develop merchandising opportunities tied to all Paramount Animation releases.

The move to create Paramount Animation came on the heels of the company’s first fully owned CGI-animated film, Rango, which since its March release has grossed more than US$240 million worldwide.

Stainton joins Paramount Animation after a 17-year stint at Disney, where he served as president of Walt Disney Feature Animation. During his studio tenure, he oversaw several dozen releases across various platforms that brought in a total of US$3.5 billion in worldwide revenue. More recently, he served as CEO of family entertainment producer Henry’s World Media, which he founded in 2007.

Stainton will report to Adam Goodman, president of the Paramount Motion Picture Group.