Disney's Dramatic Move: Firing of Lightyear Director and Toy Story 2 Savior
Disney has recently made the decision to terminate the director of Pixar's Lightyear and an executive who played a crucial role in saving Toy Story 2 This move comes as part of the company's efforts to reduce its employee count
Following the disappointing performance of Lightyear, a Pixar spin-off centered around the beloved character Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story franchise, Disney has decided to let go of several members of Pixar's office, including the director of Lightyear, Angus MacLane. Despite having a budget of $200 million, the film only managed to earn a little over $225 million, falling short of the high expectations set by Disney. Consequently, the company has decided to part ways with some of its long-time employees, including Michael Agulnek, the Vice President of Worldwide Publicity at Pixar, and producer Galyn Susman, who is widely credited for saving Toy Story 2 from being completely scrapped. Among these departures, the dismissal of Angus MacLane is particularly surprising, as he had already established himself as a talented animator and blockbuster director at the young age of 24.
Why Did Disney Cut Pixar's Employees?
Disney has been facing financial problems since Bob Chapek took over as CEO. Despite investing considerable resources into the success of Disney+, the streaming platform hasn't been the financial boon that the company hoped it would be. To counter this, Disney directed Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm to create shows to run throughout the year on Disney+. However, with the future of streaming uncertain, Disney turned to its theatrical side to generate more revenue. Unfortunately, the twin disappointments of Strange World and Lightyear only added to the company's struggles. While The Super Mario Bros. Movie managed to exceed expectations and earn over $1 billion at the box office, Lightyear, a Pixar-led project with an established IP, had no such success and couldn't blame its underperformance on poor marketing or being a new IP.
Disney is taking action to ensure the success of its upcoming film, Toy Story 5, and the financial stability of Pixar. As a result, anyone involved in the unsatisfactory outcome of Lightyear is being let go. This includes MacLane and several other Pixar employees who were affected by the fallout from Lightyear and Disney+.
