Pixar Faces Major Job Cuts as Disney Restructures After Success
WHO:
Cartoon Brew - The Walt Disney Company, Pixar Animation Studios, CEO Josh D’Amaro, Asad Ayaz.
Variety - Disney spokesperson.
WHAT:
Cartoon Brew - Pixar released two commercially successful features during the first half of 2026: the original *Hoppers* ($389.5 million) and *Toy Story 5*, which has made $958 million globally and is still performing strongly.
Cartoon Brew - Disney is cutting hundreds of jobs in its third major round of layoffs this year.
Cartoon Brew - Approximately 150 staff were impacted by the layoffs at Pixar, slightly fewer than the 2023 record layoffs of 175.
Cartoon Brew - Pixar has grossed more than $1.4 billion at the box office this year.
Cartoon Brew - The latest layoffs will eliminate hundreds of jobs across various divisions, including Pixar.
Variety - Pixar was hit particularly hard in the layoffs, which affected several hundred staffers.
WHERE:
Cartoon Brew - Pixar Animation Studios.
WHEN:
Cartoon Brew - Employees affected by the cuts were notified on a Tuesday morning.
WHY:
Coming Soon - The layoffs are reportedly tied to performance concerns related to a recent Pixar movie.
Cartoon Brew - The layoffs are part of a restructuring under CEO Josh D’Amaro, who is implementing a “One Disney” model.
Coming Soon - The layoffs are reportedly tied to performance concerns related to a recent Pixar movie.
HOW:
Cartoon Brew - Pixar's new production model will limit future films to 16,500 person-weeks of labor, down from previous levels of 18,500 to over 20,000.
Cartoon Brew - Pixar announced it would adopt a “long and lean” production schedule, limiting future films to 16,500 person-weeks of labor, down from previous levels of 18,500 to over 20,000.
(UPDATED July 22, 2026 16:23 UTC)
Pixar has had a strong start to the year with two successful films, the original *Hoppers*, which earned $389.5 million, and *Toy Story 5*, which has raked in an impressive $958 million globally and continues to perform well. However, the studio is facing layoffs reportedly linked to performance concerns regarding a recent movie. In response, Pixar is implementing a new production model that will reduce future films' labor to 16,500 person-weeks, a significant cut from the previous range of 18,500 to over 20,000.
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(UPDATED July 22, 2026 15:30 UTC)
Disney is cutting hundreds of jobs in its third major round of layoffs this year, with approximately 150 staff impacted at Pixar, which has grossed more than $1.4 billion at the box office this year. The layoffs, part of a restructuring under CEO Josh D’Amaro aimed at implementing a “One Disney” model, particularly hit Pixar hard, affecting several hundred staffers. In response to performance concerns related to a recent Pixar movie, the studio announced it would adopt a “long and lean” production schedule, limiting future films to 16,500 person-weeks of labor.