It looks like the dreaded Disney-Fox layoffs have begun. While many celebrate the completion of Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox and its film and television assets, many others mourn the loss of work accompanying the merger.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Mickey Mouse House has just begun the process of firing 20th Century Fox employees, informing staffers from different departments that some are being let go while others are being kept on for a transitional period between three to six months.
One of those affected by the layoffs is the President of Film Distribution, Chris Aronson who had been given a 60 days notice by Disney.
This is heartbreaking news for everyone. Though we're not quite sure exactly how many people are going to lose their source of income because of the merger between the two companies, analysts predict that around 4,000 of the studios' 200,000 jobs could be lost. That's a lot less than initial estimates which put it around 7,500, however, BTIG's Rich Greenfield expects Disney and Fox to cut a whole lot more, putting in an estimate of around 5,000 to 10,000 jobs within a larger time frame.
While many workers will have to go through the difficult process of finding new work, most of those who've been looking forward to Disney's merger with Fox have been blinded by what the acquisition might bring. For Marvel fans, the deal means the arrival of the X-Men and the Fantastic Four in the MCU. For Star Wars fans, it means an increased probability in the release of the unaltered cuts of the original trilogy.
It's going to be a tough time for those losing their work. But at the end of the day, Disney will do what it will do.
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