The animation department of the OTT giant Netflix has laid off 30 employees. Recently, Karen Toliver took charge as animation film content VP and Traci Balthazor became the animation film production VP.
As per a report in Deadline, the leadership have been tasked with streamlining the animation team, which explains the attrition. The animation division in five years had seven Oscar nominees, with a win for If Anything Happens, I Love You, which shows no slack in the output.
Netflix’s fast-growing original slate of animated features and shorts includes Academy Award-nominated works like Robin Robin, Klaus, Over the Moon, Kris Pearn’s The Willoughbys, Back to the Outback directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Childhood from Richard Linklater. Also, the recently released The Sea Beast; as well as upcoming releases including Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Wendy Rogers’ The Magician’s Elephant, and an Aardman sequel to Chicken Run. Recent animated film acquisitions by Netflix include the Academy Award-nominated The Mitchells vs. The Machines, Vivo!, Spongebob: Sponge on the Run (ex North America), and Wish Dragon.
In the month of July, Netflix and Animal Logic jointly announced that the OTT giant plans to acquire the Australian animation studio. Completion of this transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be closed later this year.
The Deadline report further stated that Netflix has confirmed the lay off news.