Pixar bears brunt as Disney cuts several hundred jobs
Disney is cutting several hundred jobs companywide, and Pixar bears the brunt of studio-side reductions even after Toy Story 5's blockbuster summer. A spokesperson confirmed cuts at ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and the film studios, with staff notified Tuesday morning.
Key Takeaways
- Disney is axing several hundred roles across corporate functions, ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and its film studios.
- On the studios side, Pixar bears the brunt of the cuts; on the TV side, National Geographic sees most of the impact.
- Impacted employees were informed Tuesday morning, according to Variety.
- The move follows April cuts of about 1,000 marketing roles under CEO Josh D'Amaro's push to streamline operations.
- Pixar's 2026 slate includes Hoppers and summer hit Toy Story 5, which is set to cross $1 billion and lead the franchise.
The latest round lands while Pixar is still celebrating a major theatrical win. That contrast is why the story is resonating with fans and industry watchers tracking Streaming & TV Alerts across Disney's media empire.
What happened in Disney's latest layoff round?
According to Variety, a Disney spokesperson confirmed the company is cutting several hundred jobs in certain corporate functions. The reductions span ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television, and Disney's studios.
Many ESPN cuts are tied to the integration of NFL Network. Across the studios businesses, the majority of layoffs are within Pixar Animation Studios. In the TV group, the majority of impacts are at National Geographic.
Workers who are losing their jobs were told Tuesday morning as the companywide wave began.
Why does Pixar bear the brunt if Toy Story 5 is booming?
Pixar is riding high on Toy Story 5, the summer blockbuster that is imminently crossing the billion-dollar mark and will end up as the highest-grossing film in the franchise. The studio also released Hoppers this spring, an original that opened strongly but did not match the box-office heights of prior Pixar hits.
Despite that theatrical momentum, Variety reports Pixar was hit particularly hard in Tuesday's studio-side reductions, with the majority of Disney's film-studio impacts falling inside the animation studio.
How do these cuts fit Disney's wider restructuring?
The Tuesday cuts follow a larger April reduction of about 1,000 employees in marketing functions across Disney's studios, TV networks, ESPN, product and technology, and corporate groups.
At that time, newly appointed Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro told staff the company had looked at ways to streamline operations so it can deliver the creativity fans expect. He said fast-moving industries require a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow's needs.
For Disney's streaming and TV audiences, the takeaway is straightforward: even hit-making animation divisions are not insulated from corporate streamlining. Pixar bears the brunt on the studio side while National Geographic absorbs most TV-group impacts, underscoring how widely the latest wave reaches inside the company.