Disney is continuing layoffs, with Pixar and National Geographic taking the biggest hit this round. This adds another layer of concern as Warner Bros. and Paramount consider merging.
Disney bought 20th Century Fox in 2017, and the deal officially closed in 2019. Disney remains a leading movie studio, and it’s the only one so far this year to earn over $3 billion from ticket sales. Despite this success, recent reports indicate Disney is planning another round of layoffs.
Disney’s Layoffs Continue
This year, Disney has laid off thousands of workers. The cuts began after a leadership change in April – Bob Iger stepped down, and Josh D’Amaro took over – and affected numerous studios and several whole departments within the company.
This follows significant layoffs in recent years, including cuts after the successful release of Inside Out 2, and further reductions at ABC News and its television division in 2025.
Okay, so July 21st, 2026, was a rough day at Disney. I’m getting word that ESPN just announced layoffs, and it seems to be connected to their recent deal with the NFL. Deadline is reporting that the cuts aren’t limited to ESPN; folks at Disney Entertainment Television and Studios are also being let go. What’s really interesting – and a little cold, frankly – is that sources say the new CEO isn’t planning on addressing the situation publicly. It feels like a pretty significant shakeup, and the silence from the top is definitely a choice.
Disney Entertainment Television has cut almost 100 jobs, with the biggest impact felt at National Geographic, affecting both its cable channel and content creation teams. Around a dozen employees at ABC News have also been laid off, with a few other divisions experiencing isolated cuts. While details are scarce, Pixar has also seen layoffs, even after the huge success of Toy Story 5.
In an April message to employees, Disney’s current leader, D’Amaro – who took over from Bob Iger – explained the recent layoffs. He stated that the company has been working to improve efficiency across different areas to continue providing the high-quality entertainment and innovation fans expect. He added that staying competitive in today’s rapidly changing environment means they need a flexible workforce equipped with the latest technology to prepare for the future.
By the end of 2025, Disney employed a total of 231,000 people globally, with about 172,000 working in the United States and 59,000 located internationally.
Disney Grossed More Than $3 Billion This Year
As of late June, Disney continues to lead in box office revenue. While two movies—Universal and Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Lionsgate’s Michael—have each earned over a billion dollars, Disney still holds the top spot.
As a huge movie fan, I’m following the numbers closely, and Disney’s really hoping Toy Story 5 hits that billion-dollar mark – it’s currently at $957.5 million since it came out on June 19th. Unfortunately, Moana didn’t quite perform as well as they needed it to. While it made $177.3 million globally, it cost $250 million to make, so they’re still working to recoup that investment.
The studio has already seen success with popular titles like The Devil Wears Prada 2 ($677.6M), Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu ($323M), Hoppers ($372M), and Send Help ($94M). Upcoming releases include Ridley Scott’s new sci-fi film The Dog Stars (under 20th Century Studios), Hexed (The Walt Disney Studio), and Avengers: Doomsday from Marvel Studios.
2026-07-21 20:06