Animation studio Pixar has let go of 175 employees today, roughly 14 percent of its workforce. More on the story below.
We never enjoy writing these kinds of news stories. Pixar is the latest studio to lay off some of its staff as 175 workers were let go today (21st May).
Deadline reported in January that Pixar was looking to cut some of its workforce to reduce costs, but the layoffs still come as an unpleasant surprise, especially to the workers affected. The cuts were rumoured to affect as much as 20 percent of Pixar’s workforce, but the actual number is the equivalent of 14 percent.
Pixar, like many studios, has been struggling since the pandemic. Three Pixar films – Luca, Turning Red and Soul, all excellent – were released directly on Disney+ and audiences have somewhat come to expect quick access to films, especially as cinema ticket prices soar.
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Pixar’s last film, Elemental, suffered from an underwhelming first weekend and many counted it as a huge failure for Pixar at first. The film ended up grossing nearly $500m worldwide, making it an overall success for the studio, but as Variety notes, it’s still far less than Pixar’s biggest hits have earned in the past.
Pixar’s parent company Disney recently went through similar layoffs. 7000 workers were laid off in 2023. The company also removed several of their films from their streaming service Disney+ in order to cut down costs.
Pixar is next gearing up to release the sequel to one of their most acclaimed films. Inside Out 2 is heading into cinemas this June and the studio is hoping that the film, directed by Kelsey Mann, will hit the highs of its predecessor.
