Bloodbath at Disney as Entertainment Giant Fires Hundreds of Employees Including Pixar Despite Blockbuster Success of ‘Toy Story 5’

The Walt Disney Company has launched another round of layoffs across its entertainment division, with Pixar among the hardest-hit studios despite the blockbuster success of “Toy Story 5.” The latest round of layoffs ended the tenure of some of the company’s biggest bosses.

The “Mouse House” announced several hundred job cuts on Tuesday in its third round of layoffs this year, affecting Disney Entertainment Television, ESPN, corporate teams and Disney Studios, according to SFist. Among the film divisions, Pixar’s animation studio in Emeryville was hit the hardest. Disney hasn’t revealed how many employees were let go at Pixar, but a source told TheWrap that about 116 workers were laid off.

Bloodbath at Disney’s

Several of the layoffs at Pixar were concentrated in the production and operations teams and were tied to the studio’s current project lineup rather than the performance of any individual film.

“These changes are part of our continual evaluation of how we manage resources and reinvest across the company as our industry continues to evolve,” a Disney spokesperson told the outlet.

The latest round of layoffs comes even after “Toy Story 5” opened to a robust box office performance following its June 19 theatrical release.

The latest installment in the animated franchise earned an estimated $312 million worldwide during its opening weekend, including a franchise-record $160 million at the domestic box office.

Pixar’s recent original films have delivered mixed box office results. “Elio” recorded the weakest opening weekend in the studio’s history. At the same time “Hoppers” received impressive reviews and performed better at the box office but still failed to match the commercial success of Pixar’s long-running franchises.

The Emeryville-based studio has also gone through multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years.

Unknown Game of Big Players

Pixar cut about 175 jobs—roughly 14% of its workforce—in 2024 after eliminating another 75 roles the previous year, as Disney shifted its focus away from streaming-first content and back toward theatrical releases.

In April, Disney announced another round of layoffs, firing nearly 1,000 employees across marketing, television, ESPN, technology, studio operations and corporate teams as part of its ongoing restructuring.

“We’re building a company that’s more agile and better equipped for how the entertainment business is changing,” Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro told employees in April.

This week’s layoffs also reportedly had a significant impact on National Geographic. At ESPN, many of the eliminated positions were behind-the-scenes roles connected to the company’s integration of the NFL Network.

Employees were informed of the job cuts on Tuesday morning. As of late 2025, Disney reportedly employed about 230,000 people worldwide.

Despite the latest layoffs, Pixar’s upcoming lineup still includes the original film “Gatto,” directed by Luca filmmaker Enrico Casarosa, as well as “Incredi