Laid-off Pixar Employees Share Their Experience of “Horrendous” Situation Amid Inside Out 2’s Record-Breaking Success

Former Pixar employees who were laid off have voiced their deep disappointment and frustration over missing the opportunity to partake in the remarkable success of Pixar’s latest animated film, Inside Out 2.

On September 16, 2024, the American video game and entertainment media outlet IGN published a report featuring testimonies from ten former employees of the renowned studio, claiming that the working conditions during the making of Inside Out 2 were “horrendous.”

“Ridiculous amounts of production workers, just people being tossed into jobs they’d never really done before… It was horrendous,”one employee stated.

This information surfaced after the highly anticipated sequel to 2015’s Inside Out premiered globally in June 2024, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in history, amassing $1.6 billion at the box office, according to Screenrant. Nonetheless, despite its immense success, the company laid off numerous employees in the months that followed.

Pixar Animation Studios is a celebrated American film studio recognized for its groundbreaking work in computer animation. Located in Emeryville, California, it has produced several iconic films, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Up, Inside Out, and Coco.

Former Pixar Employees Share Their Feelings on Missing Out on Inside Out 2‘s Record-Breaking Success

On Monday, IGN released a report highlighting discussions with ex-Pixar staff, shedding light on their experiences during the production of Inside Out 2, which they described as some of the most challenging of their careers. One former employee recounted that the team was required to work seven days a week for several months to ensure the film’s success.

“I think for a month or two, the animators were working seven days a week,”another employee recalled.

According to the IGN report, the former employees shared how the layoffs affected their financial wellbeing and how they felt disconnected from the film’s triumph. Some also spoke about the company’s internal culture, labeling it “rough.”

“I would venture that at least 95% of the people that got laid off are financially f*cked right now,”one stated.

Another remarked,

“The internal culture of Pixar right now is really rough.”

Some employees likened the day of the layoffs to a “funeral,”with sounds of grief echoing in the studio. In May 2024, the studio parted ways with 175 employees, representing 14% of its workforce.

“The day that the layoffs happened was like a funeral. There was weeping and crying in the atrium,”one employee shared.

Another explained,

“It was rushed work, paranoid work, paranoid leadership, mixed messaging. You’re just working 24/7. And so after a while, your body just starts breaking down.”

One former employee said,

“There is just an incredible amount of people who are like, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”

The report noted that the studio’s excessive workload stemmed from the release of three films, including Soul, Luca, and Turning Red, which were released directly on Disney+ due to COVID-19. As theaters reopened in 2022, Pixar’s Lightyear performed well, but Elemental was a significant disappointment, as highlighted by Screenrant.

Consequently, Inside Out 2 was viewed as Pixar’s last hope in these dire circumstances. Reports suggest that Inside Out 2 represented “an all-hands-on-deck studio emergency”and was considered a “life or death situation”for the studio.

As per Forbes, Disney has not commented on IGN’s reporting. However, a senior executive from the film studio has challenged the claims made by former employees regarding their challenging working conditions during the production of Inside Out 2, suggesting that the rigorous workload is not exclusive to this film but is common across many of Pixar’s projects.

Pixar has not yet responded to these issues.

According to Box Office Mojo, Inside Out 2 was the summer’s biggest blockbuster, grossing about $650 million in domestic theaters and $1.6 billion worldwide, following its release on June 10, 2024.

Source