Disney layoffs hit Pixar hardest in latest streamlining
Disney has laid off several hundred staff at Pixar, Disney Entertainment Television, and ESPN under CEO Josh D'Amaro's "One Disney" strategy, even as "Toy Story 5" nears $1 billion at the box office.
NEWS
8/3/20261 min read
Disney has laid off several hundred employees across its corporate and production divisions, with Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Entertainment Television and ESPN all affected.
The cuts land just after the release of "Toy Story 5," one of Disney's strongest box office performers in years and on track to clear $1 billion in global revenue.
Pixar's recent record has been uneven. Sequels like "Inside Out 2" performed well commercially, but originals such as "Elio" underperformed at the box office. "Hoppers," released earlier this year, landed somewhere in between, grossing $389.5 million globally against a $150 million budget, close to breaking even by Hollywood standards.
Disney hasn't disclosed exact numbers for the Pixar cuts, but sources familiar with the matter say the reduction affects fewer than 10% of the studio's workforce, concentrated in roles tied to current project pipelines rather than creative leadership.
The layoffs fall under CEO Josh D'Amaro's "One Disney" strategy, which leans on technology to boost efficiency across the company. For Pixar specifically, the shift points toward fewer releases made at a higher level of polish, feeding directly into Disney's streaming lineup.
The studio is still moving forward on several anticipated titles, including "Gatto," directed by Enrico Casarosa, and "Incredibles 3." Even so, the layoffs sit in sharp contrast with "Toy Story 5's" box office run, a reminder of just how uneven the economics of animation filmmaking can be even in a strong year.
Images: Pixar