Inside Out 2 Was the Hit Pixar Needed, but the Laid-Off Employees Who Crunched on It Are Still Hurting

From the outside, Pixar’s narrative is a clear story of redemption: after an undeniably tough few years – battered by COVID-19 theater shutdowns, two Hollywood strikes, and a couple of box office disappointments – the studio needed a win, and that win was Inside Out 2.The sequel to Pete Docter’s Oscar-winning 2015 blockbuster is Pixar’s biggest hit in years, and it’s not even close. Inside Out 2 isn’t just Pixar’s highest-grossing film. It’s the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, sitting at a jaw-dropping $1.6 billion at the worldwide box office. It’s a stunning turn of events when considering the studio’s aforementioned recent struggles. And who doesn’t love a redemption story, especially when a brand as beloved and nostalgic as Pixar is involved?But for many of the workers behind Inside Out 2, its record-shattering success is more than a little bittersweet. As reported earlier this year, the studio began layoffs affecting 175 workers, or 14% of its staff, in May. And not only are laid-off employees unable to benefit from a bonus for Inside Out 2’s success – some are also recovering from what several sources describe as an “unprecedented” crunch surrounding Inside Out 2. “There is just an incredible amount of people who are like, ‘I can't do this anymore.’

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