Pixar cut about 75 jobs as a part of the ongoing Disney layoffs. A new report from Reuters includes details about who was affected by the move. Surprisingly, Lightyear director Angus MacLane and Toy Story 4 producer Galyn Susman were let go. For the past few months, there have been constant media reports about layoffs headed for Disney. Pixar is just the latest division to feel the effects of these economic moves. All of these cuts come in the shadow of Disney netting itself a $1.5 billion write off after removing numerous titles from Disney+ in an effort to save money. Fans were unsurprisingly upset by that maneuvering as well.
Reuters also reports that the cuts took place on May 23. Lightyear‘s underperformance at the box office appears to have been a part of that decision. Disney CEO made it his mission to cut about 7,000 jobs and save $5 billion in the company’s operating budget. He’s also decided to merge the film and television groups under one umbrella at Disney Entertainment as well. An entire division that handled distribution was also slashed as a part of these moves. This is a rare thing for Pixar because they haven’t had any cuts in a decade.
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What Was Lightyear About?
“Buzz’s world was always something I was excited about,” began director Angus MacLane. “In ‘Toy Story,’ there seemed to be this incredible backstory to him being a Space Ranger that’s only touched upon, and I always wanted to explore that world further. So my ‘Lighytear’ pitch was, ‘What was the movie that Andy saw that made him want a Buzz Lightyear toy?’ I wanted to see that movie. And now I’m lucky enough to get to make it.”
“Joining the previously announced Chris Evans, who lends his voice to Buzz, are Keke Palmer, Dale Soules and Taika Waititi as a group of ambitious recruits. Peter Sohn voices Buzz’s robot companion, Sox, and the cast also includes the voices of Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez and Isiah Whitlock Jr.”
“The cast for ‘Lightyear’ is truly a dream team,” MacLane said. “Each of the performers immediately inhabited their character, which gave us the opportunity to play a bit during recording sessions. This resulted in a level of specificity that elevated the material and brought additional depth to the characters’ relationships. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented and generous cast.”
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