In this photo illustration, the Pixar Animation Studios logo is seen on a smartphone screen.
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walt disneyPixar Animation Studios has cut 75 jobs, including two executives behind the box office disappointment “Light Years,” sources said Saturday, the studio’s first major layoffs in a decade.
Those cut include Lightyear director Angus MacLean, an animator with 26 years of experience in animation who has worked on such critically acclaimed films as Toy Story 4 and Coco. Senior creative team member. “Light Years” producer Galin Sussman also left. Sussman has been at Pixar since the original Toy Story movie came out in 1995.
McClain and Sussman could not be reached for comment. Michael Agulnek, Pixar’s vice president of worldwide communications since 2015, was also fired, the sources said. He did not return calls seeking comment.
The layoffs, which took place on May 23, are part of Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger’s previously announced plan to cut 7,000 jobs and cut costs by $5.5 billion. The reorganization merged the film and television groups into a single Disney Entertainment unit and eliminated a division responsible for distribution.
While small compared to Pixar’s roughly 1,200 employees, the layoffs are notable because the studio is a creative force that creates franchises and characters that drive revenue across Disney.
Pixar is known for its movie franchises, including “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Cars.” But “Light Years,” released a year ago with a reported $200 million budget, grossed just $226.7 million worldwide and received mixed reviews.
By comparison, Pixar’s 2018 “Incredibles 2,” which reportedly had a similar production budget, grossed $1.2 billion worldwide.
“Light Years” couldn’t be screened in 14 Middle Eastern and Asian countries because of its depiction of same-sex relationships. That had an impact on its box office performance.
Disney has implemented layoffs across every division, including movies and TV, streaming services and theme parks.
Pixar last cut staff in 2013, when the studio delayed the release of 2015’s “The Good Dinosaur” and ousted director Bob Peterson. About 30 positions were eliminated.
Disney bought Pixar in 2006 to revive its struggling Disney Animation.