Disney Layoffs Hit Hundreds of Staff, With Pixar Cuts Reportedly in Part Due to Underperformance of Hoppers
Disney announced significant layoffs across multiple divisions on Tuesday, affecting hundreds of employees. Pixar, the acclaimed animation studio behind franchises like Toy Story and Inside Out, was hit particularly hard, with estimates suggesting between 100–150 employees lost their jobs—roughly 9–14% of the studio’s 1,100-person workforce. This marks the largest round of layoffs at Pixar since May 2024, when the studio eliminated 175 positions.
The cuts extended beyond Pixar to include Disney Studios, Television, National Geographic, ESPN, and various corporate functions. At Pixar specifically, layoffs targeted production and operations teams, though it remains unclear whether any executive-level staff were affected.
According to reports from TheWrap, the Pixar layoffs have been attributed to the underperformance of the animated film Hoppers, released in March. Despite receiving strong critical reviews (94% on Rotten Tomatoes), the film apparently underperformed at the box office.
Disney’s official statement characterized the reductions as part of “continual evaluation of how we manage resources and reinvest across the company as our industry continues to evolve,” without specifying reasons for broader divisions’ layoffs.