Blumhouse Studio Cuts Staff Amid Box Office Challenges
Blumhouse, the studio behind well-known horror films like Get Out, Paranormal Activity, and various Halloween reboots, has laid off six employees from its film, television, and casting departments. This decision, confirmed by a spokesperson, comes as the studio grapples with disappointing box office returns for M3GAN 2.0, the follow-up to its 2022 sci-fi horror hit. Interestingly, sources reveal that those affected were not involved in the film’s production.
The layoffs primarily affected junior-level staff and support personnel, including the creative development manager, Haley Pigman, who worked on projects such as the upcoming film Woman in the Garden, directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.
This restructuring follows earlier staff reductions in the television division led by Chris McCumber in 2023. After his resignation, several people were let go, which hints at an ongoing realignment within the company. McCumber had only recently been appointed to lead the television branch.
While M3GAN 2.0 had potential, future returns are uncertain, especially considering upcoming projects like Black Phone 2 and Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, which have done well, with the original Five Nights bringing in $450 million globally. The studio has also secured rights to another franchise, though specifics were not disclosed.
In an interesting turn, Blumhouse recently acquired franchises from producers Oren Coules and Mark Berg, who mentioned it felt like the right time for a change. Coules expressed a desire to explore new stories going forward.
Despite the layoffs, Lionsgate, which has partnered with Blumhouse on all films in the franchise, will maintain its stake in distribution and ownership of future releases.
What’s more, this year has been challenging for Blumhouse. Their past successes, like The Wolf Man and Woman in the Garden, haven’t performed well at the box office, raising concerns about the studio’s trajectory.
In 2020, studio head Jason Blum found himself in the spotlight for various reasons, including comments regarding political issues and expressions of concern about rising anti-Semitism in the U.S. He has consistently advocated for returning to a more normal societal atmosphere, reflecting on the broader implications of leadership.
