Netflix Lays Off 30 From Animation Team After Leadership Restructuring
Netflix is laying off 30 staffers from its film animation team in the wake of a restructuring to its leadership for that department.
The team, led by Karen Toliver (VP Animation Film Content) and Traci Balthazor (VP Animation Film Production), aims for better collaboration closer to traditional animation film studios, resulting in 30 different roles that are no longer needed, an individual with knowledge of the decision said.
The move is not expected to lead to a downturn in the overall amount of content that Netflix puts out from its film animation unit.
Netflix had no comment.
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Back in July, Toliver was promoted to lead the film animation team and report directly to global film head Scott Stuber. It led to Melissa Cobb and Gregg Taylor shifting to becoming creative producing partners and removing layers from the leadership structure, while Bruce Daitch on the production side exited Netflix. Netflix had also in July acquired the Australian animation studio Animal Logic to help support its original film slate for animated movies.
Netflix just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival its latest animated feature, “Wendell & Wild” (pictured above) from “Coraline” director Henry Selick. The streamer also has coming up Nora Twomey’s “My Father’s Dragon,” Guillermo del Toro’s “Pinocchio,” Wendy Rogers’ “The Magician’s Elephant,” and the sequel to the Aardman film “Chicken Run.”
Deadline first reported the news.
