When Pixar pushed the release of THE GOOD DINOSAUR 18 months from an original May 30, 2014 release date, it made 2014 the first time there would be a year without a Pixar film since 2003. This came after director Bob Peterson was removed from the production which many speculated as the first glaring crack in the spotless track record for the animation giant.
Now comes word that Pixar is laying of 5% of their 1200 person workforce (approximately 60 employees) due to the lack of active projects. Peterson has not had a replacement named and it appears that THE GOOD DINOSAUR is being rebuilt from the ground up. Pixar did release the following comment about the layoffs.
“At Pixar, we are constantly re-evaluating the creative and business needs of our studio,” a Pixar representative said. “With the release date change of ‘The Good Dinosaur,’ we have realigned our production and support priorities, which includes a small reduction in our staffing levels.”
Pixar has committed to a new release date for THE GOOD DINOSAUR and as far as we know the plot will still follow a boy and his dinosaur in a world where the mass extinction never happened. Already attached in the voice cast are Lucas Neff, John Lithgow, Frances McDormand, Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer, and Bill Hader.
Pixar also recently closed their Vancouver offices which resulted in 80 folks losing work. While this is a small number in the overall company, it still represents the first time that Pixar has started to have any sort of issues. Granted they have been replacing directors since they started, but with their last few films not as critically lauded as their previous work, Pixar may be reassessing their slate of upcoming films. Time will tell if this is the fall of the Pixar Empire.
THE GOOD DINOSAUR is currently slated to hit theaters on November 25, 2015.