Pixar Bears Brunt of Disney Studio Layoffs as Company Axes Several Hundred Staffers - Variety

What the report says

Variety reported that Disney is eliminating several hundred jobs across parts of the company, with Pixar Animation Studios taking a large share of the cuts within the studio division. According to the report, employees affected by the layoffs were notified Tuesday morning. A Disney spokesperson confirmed the reductions, which span certain corporate functions as well as ESPN, Disney Entertainment Television and Disney’s studios.

The report said ESPN cuts include many roles tied to the integration of NFL Network, while National Geographic accounts for most of the reductions within the television group. At Pixar, the layoffs are concentrated in production and operations. Variety cited a source familiar with the process who said the changes are connected to Pixar’s current project slate and shifting production needs.

The move comes after Disney cut about 1,000 marketing-related positions in April across studios, TV networks, ESPN, product and technology, and corporate teams. Variety noted that Disney has been reshaping its production strategy over the past three years by lowering overall output and emphasizing quality, especially theatrical releases that can also support the company’s wider entertainment businesses, including streaming.

The timing is notable because Pixar has had a mixed recent run. Variety said the studio released two films in 2026: the original adventure “Hoppers,” which opened strongly but did not reach the heights of major Pixar hits, and “Toy Story 5,” which the outlet described as nearing $1 billion globally and on track to become the franchise’s top grosser. The report also pointed to Pixar’s post-pandemic challenge of launching new properties after several films were sent directly to Disney+ during COVID-era disruptions.