Netflix Animation Studios has appointed Vitor Vilela as head of character animation on an upcoming film, bringing an experienced animation professional on board after his recent stint at Epic Games, an American video game and 3D software development company .
Vilela announced the move on LinkedIn, describing his time at Epic Games as an incredible and inspiring chapter and expressing excitement about joining the Netflix team.
He spent June 2025 to October 2026 at Epic Games as lead animator. Before that, he worked at Walt Disney Animation Studios for more than a decade, from February 2015 to June 2025, holding roles including animator, animation supervisor and head of animation.
During his tenure at Disney, Vilela served as head of animation from November 2022 to April 2024 and as animation supervisor from February 2019 to October 2024.
His earlier experience includes roles at Reel FX, where he worked as a lead animator and freelance character animator, and Brazilian animation studio Vetor Zero, a pioneer 3D animation, computer graphics, and live-action production studio.
Vilela’s appointment adds an experienced animation leader to Netflix’s film operations as the streaming company continues to develop its animation slate.
