Disney General Entertainment Layoffs Include Mark Levenstein, Jayne Bieber and Elizabeth Newman as TV Production Consolidates and IP Acquisitions Unravel

UPDATED: Details are starting to emerge about the first wave of layoffs at Disney. It includes the consolidation of production operations at Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform and FX under Carol Turner and the closure of the studio’s Creative Acquisitions division.

Mark Levenstein, senior vice president of production at Hulu, and Jayne Bieber, senior vice president of production management and operations at Freeform, are leaving as Turner, executive vice president and head of production at ABC Signature, takes on an expanded role and network and platform production of scripted television programming at Disney Entertainment will be consolidated under her leadership. 20th executive vice president of television and head of production Nissa Diederich and Nick Lombardo, senior vice president and head of production, special effects, will now report to her.

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In her new position, Turner will report to Eric Schrier, Disney Television Studios and Global Original Television Strategy for Disney Entertainment.

Additionally, Elizabeth Newman, vice president of development who worked at 20th Television and oversaw creative acquisitions at Disney Television Studios, is leaving and the department will be disbanded. Its functions will be taken over by the studies.

The Creative Acquisitions Division was launched in 2021 to identify and secure rights to upcoming and best-selling books, podcasts, news stories and other intellectual property rights that may be created by ABC Signature and 20th showrunners, writers, directors and talent Television. ABC, Hulu, Freeform, FX, Disney+, NatGeo and other platforms.

Newman originally co-headed the unit with Jordan Moblo, who soon left to join Netflix and then Universal Studios Group.

Former CAA television agent Newman joined Fox 21 Television Studios in late 2019 as vice president of development for Touchstone Television, where she worked on projects including: Stupid.

Levenstein has served as Hulu’s head of production since 2019. He previously served as senior vice president of production at Paramount Pictures and vice president of production at HBO.

Bieber is a 14-year Disney veteran who started as a producer at Disney Channel before becoming vice president and then vice president of production management and operations at Freeform.

Manufacturing has been one of the areas that has often undergone consolidation, and over the past few years, many television companies have combined operations across multiple divisions.

Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed this morning that the first of three rounds of layoffs is beginning this week as the company plans to cut about 7,000 jobs.

The second and largest is scheduled for April, when Disney’s TV business is expected to take a major hit. The third and final round of notifications is expected before the start of summer.

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