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Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Eliminates 75 Positions

(L-R) Actors Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis, Pixar CCO Pete Docter, producer Denise Ream, director Peter Sohn, actors Vincent Lacoste, Adele Exarchopoulos, and a guest attend the photocall for Pixar's “Elemental” during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 26 May 2023. (EPA)
(L-R) Actors Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis, Pixar CCO Pete Docter, producer Denise Ream, director Peter Sohn, actors Vincent Lacoste, Adele Exarchopoulos, and a guest attend the photocall for Pixar's “Elemental” during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 26 May 2023. (EPA)
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Walt Disney’s Pixar Animation Eliminates 75 Positions

(L-R) Actors Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis, Pixar CCO Pete Docter, producer Denise Ream, director Peter Sohn, actors Vincent Lacoste, Adele Exarchopoulos, and a guest attend the photocall for Pixar's “Elemental” during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 26 May 2023. (EPA)
(L-R) Actors Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis, Pixar CCO Pete Docter, producer Denise Ream, director Peter Sohn, actors Vincent Lacoste, Adele Exarchopoulos, and a guest attend the photocall for Pixar's “Elemental” during the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival, in Cannes, France, 26 May 2023. (EPA)

Walt Disney's Pixar Animation Studios has eliminated 75 positions including those of two executives behind box office disappointment “Lightyear,” sources said on Saturday, the first significant job cuts at the studio in a decade.

The cuts included "Lightyear" director Angus MacLane, a 26-year animator who was part of the senior creative team on such acclaimed films as “Toy Story 4” and “Coco.” Galyn Susman, producer of "Lightyear," also departed. Susman had been at Pixar since the release of the original “Toy Story” movie in 1995.

MacLane and Susman could not be reached for comment.

The cuts, which took place May 23, are part of Walt Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger’s previously announced plan to eliminate 7,000 jobs and slash $5.5 billion in costs. That restructuring combined the film and television groups into a single Disney Entertainment unit and eliminated a division charged with distribution.

The layoffs at Pixar are significant because the studio is a creative force generating franchises and characters that drive revenue across Disney.

Pixar is famous for cinematic franchises including “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles” and “Cars.” But “Lightyear,” released a year ago with a reported budget of $200 million, brought in a modest $226.7 million in worldwide ticket sales and received a mixed critical reception.

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Nintendo Showcases ‘Super Mario’, Game Boy History in New Museum

Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
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Nintendo Showcases ‘Super Mario’, Game Boy History in New Museum

Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)
Characters Mario and Luigi are seen at the grand opening of the Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City, Los Angeles, California, US, February 15, 2023. (Reuters)

Japanese firm Nintendo will next week open a museum showcasing its history, where fans of "Super Mario", "The Legend of Zelda" and the Game Boy and Switch can gain insight into one of the world's most renowned game makers.

Located in Uji near the company's Kyoto headquarters, the museum underscores the many evolutions of Nintendo, which was founded in 1889 as a maker of "hanafuda" playing cards and is now a global gaming giant.

Shigeru Miyamoto, executive fellow at Nintendo and creator of "Super Mario", said the museum was intended to deepen understanding of the company.

"If making products while protecting concepts such as family, fun and ease of understanding is rooted in our employees then the new Nintendo will continue to grow," he told reporters.

The museum, which opens to the public Oct. 2, is located on the site of a plant that used to make playing cards and was a center for product repairs. Tickets on its website are sold out for the following two months.

In addition to displaying iconic devices such as the Wii console and the handheld Game Boy, visitors will be able to see lesser known products such as the "Mamaberica" baby stroller and the "Copilas" printer.

The museum also offers a range of interactive experiences, with visitors able to partner to play the video game "Super Mario Bros." featuring mustachioed plumber Mario on a single, oversized Family Computer controller.

While a push into mobile gaming has tapered off, other efforts by Nintendo to expand beyond its core gaming business have gained traction with the company opening stores and employing its roster of characters in theme parks and film.

The Switch console has been a runaway success with an install base exceeding 140 million units, but with sales slowing, investor attention in now focused on the prospects for a successor device, with Nintendo due to reveal details in the current financial year, which ends in March.