New Delhi: The ‘Lightyear’ director and producer are among those impacted by the recent layoffs at Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Studio, according to ‘Deadline’.
Galyn Susman, a producer, and director Angus MacLane were two of the 7,000 employees Disney intended to let go in late May.
Lightyear director and producer laid off by Pixar Animation Studio
Despite receiving favourable reviews, their movie, which was based on the ‘Toy Story’ character Buzz Lightyear, was banned in several Islamic nations due to a scene in which Uzo Aduba’s character Alisha Hawthorne and her partner Kiko shared a same-sex kiss. This resulted in a net loss to the studio of $106 million, according to ‘Deadline’.
Susman having worked at the studio since the 1995 release of the first Toy Story, while MacLane, an animator with 26 years of experience, was a member of the senior creative team for “Coco,” “Incredibles 2,” and “Toy Story 4.” The two were among the 75 workers that Pixar let go.
Lightyear did not perform well at the box office, but Disney+ viewers seemed to enjoy it. On a purported $200 million budget, it brought in $226.7 million globally.
The last time Pixar had layoffs was in 2013, when 5% of its 1,200 employees were fired.
Disney is now looking globally to make further cuts after finishing its round of layoffs in the US, according to ‘Deadline’.