Disney Removes Director of Pixar’s Lightyear and Producer of Toy Story 2

“Disney Terminates Director of Pixar’s Lightyear and Producer Known for Rescuing Toy Story 2”

After the disappointing performance of Pixar’s “Lightyear” at the box office, Disney has taken significant steps, including firing several key members of the Pixar team. The casualties include director Angus MacLane and producer Galyn Susman, who is renowned for her role in saving “Toy Story 2” from potential destruction.

“Lightyear,” a spinoff of the Toy Story franchise, followed the adventures of the titular spacefaring hero and served as an in-universe film that inspired the iconic Tim Allen toy character. Despite its substantial budget of $200 million, the movie only managed to gross slightly over $225 million, marking it as a major flop for Disney. In response, significant changes have been made within the animation studio.

According to recent reports from Reuters, Disney has decided to terminate Angus MacLane, the director of “Lightyear,” along with Michael Agulnek, Pixar’s Vice President of Worldwide Publicity. Notably, Galyn Susman, who played a crucial role in rescuing “Toy Story 2” when the entire film was accidentally deleted, has also been let go. Additionally, over 70 other executives have been laid off. MacLane’s firing is particularly surprising, as he had enjoyed a 26-year tenure at Pixar, gradually rising from an animator to a director of blockbuster films.

The decision to cut Pixar’s employees comes amidst broader financial challenges faced by Disney. Following Bob Iger’s brief retirement, Bob Chapek’s leadership led to financial difficulties for the company. Disney+ did not yield the expected financial returns, prompting Disney to reevaluate its strategy. There was a reported push for Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm to create content for the streaming platform rather than for theatrical release.

While Disney hoped for its theatrical business to provide a financial boost, disappointments like “Strange World” and “Lightyear” have compounded the company’s problems. These failures are not due to waning audience interest, as evidenced by the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which surpassed $1 billion at the box office in less than a month and even outperformed Disney’s “Frozen.” “Strange World” faced challenges such as inadequate marketing and being a new intellectual property (IP), whereas “Lightyear” was a Pixar-led project based on an established IP.

Given these challenges and Disney’s cost-cutting efforts related to Disney+ and Hulu, the decision to terminate key figures like Angus MacLane and Galyn Susman may be seen as a necessary step. With “Toy Story 5” in development, Disney aims to get Pixar and its separate animation studio back on track to prevent further financial woes from affecting one of the industry’s leading brands.

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