LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Co. is restructuring its studio division to emphasize blockbuster franchise films over more adult fare, a move that will mean slashing 650 jobs worldwide, the company announced Tuesday.
Among those who will lose their jobs is Disney's longtime head of live-action production, Nina Jacobsen.
The restructuring will cut Disney's output from about 18 films a year to about a dozen. Of those, about 10 will be released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner, a proven family-friendly brand that includes the successful"Pirates of the Caribbean"franchise.
Disney's Touchstone label, which is responsible for more esoteric fare by artists like Joel and Ethan Coen of"Fargo"fame, will be cut back to only two or three releases a year. Recent Touchstone films have included the box-office flops"The Alamo"and"The Ladykillers."
The shift, the company explained, will allow Disney films to bolster the resources of other divisions. A hit like"Pirates of the Caribbean,"for example, can spawn video games, action figures, cable TV shows and, in the case of"Pirates,"give new life to an old Disney theme park attraction.
"When we do it well, the lift it gives to the entire company is so significant,"Dick Cook, chairman of Walt Disney Studios told The Associated Press.
By ANDREW GLAZER, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
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