The Walt Disney Company has made about 7,000 staff cuts in recent weeks, of which about 75 are thought to have come from Pixar according to Reuters.
The news service reveals that among the cuts were the director and producer of “Lightyear” last year – 26-year-old host Angus MacLane, vice president of publicity Michael Agulnek and the nearly 30-year-old Pixar veteran years Galyn Susman.
The surprise here is Susman, who had been with the studio since 1995 and is famous in many circles for being the producer who single-handedly saved “Toy Story 2.”
About a year before release, a glitch in Disney’s computers deleted over 90% of the film. The studio feared they would have to start from scratch – until Galyn saved everyone as she had a backup copy in her possession as she was on maternity leave and working from home.
During that time, MacLane was on the senior creative team on animated films like “Coco,” “Incredibles 2,” and “Toy Story 4.” The last time Pixar cuts were made was ten years ago when “The Good Dinosaur” was delayed – with around 60 cuts at the time, including director Bob Peterson.
The cuts follow in the wake of “Lightyear” disappointing at the box office last year, making $226.7 million worldwide on a $200 million budget and being hit by several controversies.