Warner Bros. Pictures has named longtime executive Jesse Ehrman as head of production and development. In the new role, he will oversee a slate of upcoming kids films, including Coyote vs. Acme and several Mattel movies.

Upped from an EVP position, Ehrman has been with the studio for 16 years. His EP credits include films such as Scoob! and Tom & Jerry (pictured), as well as an upcoming Sesame Street movie. This promotion follows on the heels of multiple upper-rank exits in recent months, including president of production and development Courtenay Valenti in September, and animation group EVP Allison Abbate in August.

Amid these shakeups, there’s a broader company-wide focus on saving US$3 billion through cost-cutting measures in WBD’s film division and changing its kids content approach. The company scrapped family-friendly big-budget films Batgirl and Scoob!: Holiday Haunt from the Warner Bros. Pictures pipeline in August.

Ehrman is taking over the film division as HBO Max shifts away from live-action kids and family programming. But Warner Bros. Pictures has a beefy slate of kids movies in the works, including Barbie and Hot Wheels flicks with Mattel.