All articles tagged with #disney
An anonymous Pixar staffer told THR that Disney rejected Be Fri, a female-led teen friendship film, after notes suggested the story wouldn’t appeal to boys. The team reportedly reworked it for six weeks, but Disney ultimately chose to shelve the project.
Pixar canceled Be Fri, a long-in-development feature from Kristen Lester that involved about 50 staff and underwent multiple revisions, reportedly after Disney pushed back on a girl-centered, “girl power” premise. The shutdown prompted a memorial at the studio and internal debate about leadership and public perception, but the company remains hopeful about its future originals thanks to Hoppers’ success and Toy Story 5 on the horizon.
Rumors suggest Disney may pursue acquiring Epic Games, which would put Unreal Engine under Disney’s umbrella and could influence the engine’s pricing, licensing, and the broader gaming ecosystem. Disney already invested $1.5 billion in Epic, while Epic has faced layoffs and ongoing turnover. Developers are split: some fear a Disney takeover could constrain access or change profits-sharing, while others see potential benefits from Disney’s vast R&D, Imagineering know-how, and cross-media integration. Unreal Engine’s prominence—being widely used in games, film, and animation—means a Disney-owned path could significantly shift how the tool evolves and is priced for indie developers and larger studios alike.
Disney is reportedly cutting up to 1,000 positions—primarily in marketing—as Josh D’Amaro takes the CEO reins, a move following Bob Iger’s return; the layoffs come from a workforce of about 231,000 and reflect broader industry cost-cutting.
The Financial Times reviews a four-episode Malcolm in the Middle revival, Life’s Still Unfair, reuniting the original cast for a nostalgia-soaked, low-stakes comedy that stays faithful to the original formula. Adult Malcolm is now a single father running a food-waste business; Hal and Lois celebrate their 40th anniversary while the family’s chaos remains invitingly familiar, with a small nod to modernity (including a non-binary Kelly). Streaming on Disney+ from April 10, the reboot earns a warm four-star reception for its comforting silliness and solid callbacks to the past.
Jon Bernthal returns as the Punisher in the Marvel TV special Punisher: One Last Kill, with a violent trailer that shows him set on fire and hearing hallucinations as he pursues vengeance. The special debuts on Disney+ May 12, a week after Daredevil: Born Again’s Season 2 finale, and is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who co-wrote it with Bernthal.
Disney plans up to 1,000 layoffs, largely in the marketing division, as it enters another cost-cutting phase under CEO Josh D’Amaro. The move follows a 2023 restructuring that cut about 7,000 jobs after Bob Iger’s return, and a January consolidation that placed all marketing under Asad Ayaz.
Disney is reportedly planning to cut up to 1,000 positions in the coming weeks, with most reductions in the experiences division (theme parks and cruise lines) following prior layoffs in ESPN and the entertainment unit. ESPN is said to trim about 30 roles. The Wall Street Journal notes some cuts may stem from merging Disney+ and Hulu into one app. Disney employed roughly 231,000 people at the end of fiscal 2025, so the cuts would represent a small fraction of the workforce; this continues a multi-year restructuring that has eliminated over 8,000 jobs since 2022.
Disney plans an extensive round of layoffs in coming weeks, potentially totaling up to 1,000 roles—mostly from its marketing department—as the company consolidates operations amid declines in theatrical revenue, TV audiences, and streaming profits, joining Sony in belt-tightening across Hollywood.
Disney plans to cut up to 1,000 jobs in the coming months as the first layoffs under new CEO Josh D’Amaro, largely tied to consolidating marketing across film, TV and streaming. The company’s global headcount is about 230,000, many of whom are part‑time theme park workers. The move follows extensive reductions (roughly 8,000 roles) under Bob Iger between 2023 and 2025, and comes as Disney continues cost‑cutting and restructuring; Disney declined to comment on the report.
Michael Hiltzik argues that Disney’s $1B OpenAI deal to power Sora with Disney characters collapsed within four months after OpenAI shut down Sora, with no formal terms or payments and user downloads plunging. The episode suggests AI-generated content remains dull, IP and creator concerns are rising, and the promised efficiencies for entertainment are overstated, even as some retailers push AI tools for other uses.
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord launches Maul’s new era in the early Empire on Janix, as he plots to rebuild his criminal syndicate with a new crew; Sam Witwer returns to voice Maul alongside Gideon Adlon as Devon Izara and a star cast including Wagner Moura, Richard Ayoade, Dennis Haysbert and more. Created by Dave Filoni and Matt Michnovetz and directed by Brad Rau, the series debuts with a two-episode premiere on Disney+ on April 6, 2026.
A former Disney and TikTok executive argues that Disney should double down on gaming by buying Epic Games (or another major game asset) to drive growth, a view echoed by reports that Disney leadership is weighing such a deal; Tim Sweeney’s Epic remains founder-controlled, and while Disney has explored gaming partnerships and licensing (including Fortnite-related projects), no acquisition has materialized amid mixed internal opinions.
Disney unveiled World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris as part of a 2 billion euro transformation—the largest expansion in the park’s 34-year history—rebranding Walt Disney Studios Park to Disney Adventure World and adding Arendelle, a new lake, a Tangled ride, 15 dining venues and a drone-lit Cascades of Lights, with CEO Josh D'Amaro at the ceremony alongside Macron and other dignitaries, and the plan projected to boost jobs and tourism.
Disney marks a €2 billion expansion at Disneyland Paris by opening the World of Frozen, part of a broader rebrand that includes a new Disney Adventure World and renaming of the Paris park.