Disney Announces Sweeping Layoffs as New CEO Takes Charge

Sony Pictures also confirms job cuts as Hollywood faces industry-wide contraction

Apr. 12, 2026 at 10:40pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A high-end, photorealistic studio still-life photograph featuring a sleek, modern desk with a laptop, a stack of papers, and a single pen, all arranged elegantly on a clean, monochromatic seamless background. The objects represent the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry, with the laptop symbolizing the shift towards digital content and the stack of papers signifying the uncertainty and restructuring facing major studios.As the entertainment industry faces a period of upheaval, major studios like Disney and Sony are forced to make difficult decisions to adapt to changing consumer habits and tightening budgets.Los Angeles Today

Disney is preparing to cut up to 1,000 jobs, primarily in the marketing department, as the entertainment giant faces growing pressure from a shrinking media industry and changing audience habits. The layoffs come as Josh D'Amaro steps in to replace outgoing CEO Bob Iger. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures Entertainment has also confirmed its own layoffs, with sources describing the reductions as 'targeted and strategic' rather than purely 'cost driven' as the studio refocuses on areas with long-term revenue potential.

Why it matters

The job cuts at Disney and Sony reveal a pattern of contraction across the entertainment industry following years of inflated spending and pandemic-era disruption. Filmmaking jobs in Los Angeles County have fallen 30% over the past two years, and theater attendance has dropped nearly 48% in the same period, signaling that audiences have not returned in the numbers studios once expected.

The details

Disney's workforce stands at roughly 231,000 employees, making this reduction significant as the company adjusts to slower growth and escalating costs. The announcement arrived just one day after Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed its own layoffs, with executives saying the goal was to reorganize the company 'for the future' and to maximize growth despite tightening budgets.

  • Disney is preparing to cut up to 1,000 jobs in the coming weeks.
  • Sony Pictures Entertainment confirmed its own layoffs on April 11, 2026.

The players

Josh D'Amaro

The new CEO of Disney, who previously led the company's Parks and Experiences division.

Bob Iger

The outgoing CEO of Disney.

Disney

The entertainment giant facing growing pressure from a shrinking media industry and changing audience habits.

Sony Pictures Entertainment

The entertainment studio that has also confirmed layoffs as it refocuses on areas with long-term revenue potential.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

Disney's new CEO, Josh D'Amaro, will need to navigate the company through this period of industry-wide contraction and find ways to adapt to changing consumer habits.

The takeaway

The layoffs at Disney and Sony signal a broader trend of contraction in the entertainment industry, with filmmaking jobs and theater attendance declining significantly in recent years. As studios face tightening budgets and shifting consumer preferences, they must find ways to reorganize and refocus their efforts to maximize long-term growth and revenue potential.