Hollywood
Angeline Jolie Pitt to direct Cambodian film for Netflix
MUMBAI: Angelina Jolie Pitt will direct an adaptation of First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, a harrowing and poignant memoir from Cambodian author and human rights activist Loung Ung about surviving the deadly Khmer Rouge regime.
Jolie Pitt will direct and produce the Netflix Original Film from a script she co-adapted with Ung. Acclaimed Cambodian director and producer Rithy Panh, director of the Oscar-nominated Best Foreign Language film The Missing Picture, will also be a producer.
The film will be made available to Netflix members in late 2016 and will be submitted to major international festivals.
Ung was five years old when the Khmer Rouge assumed power over Cambodia in 1975 and began a four-year reign of terror and genocide in which nearly two million Cambodians died. Forced from her family‘s home in Phnom Penh, Ung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp for orphans while her six siblings were sent to labor camps. Ung survived and wrote First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, which was first published in 2000. Jolie Pitt read the book and contacted Ung over a decade ago and they became close friends. Together they adapted the book into a screenplay.
“I was deeply affected by Loung‘s book. It deepened forever my understanding of how children experience war and are affected by the emotional memory of it. And it helped me draw closer still to the people of Cambodia, my son‘s homeland,” said Jolie Pitt.
“It is a dream come true to be able to adapt this book for the screen, and I‘m honored to work alongside Loung and filmmaker Rithy Panh,” she added.
Jolie Pitt‘s Cambodian-born son, Maddox, will also be involved in the production of the film.
Netflix‘s global reach was a major factor in Jolie Pitt‘s desire to partner with the streaming service. “Films like this are hard to watch but important to see. They are also hard to get made. Netflix is making this possible, and I am looking forward to working with them and excited that the film will reach so many people,” she said.
The film will be released in both Khmer and English.
“We are proud to be working with Angelina Jolie in bringing this emotionally powerful and ultimately uplifting story exclusively to Netflix members around the world. Loung Ung‘s incredible journey is a testament to the human spirit and its ability to transcend even the toughest circumstances,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos.
“Angelina and I met in 2001 in Cambodia, and immediately, I trusted Angelina‘s heart. Through the years, we have become close friends, and my admiration for Angelina as a woman, a mother, a filmmaker, and a humanitarian has only grown. It is with great honor that I entrust my family‘s story to Angelina to adapt into a film,” said Ung.
Ung is currently writing her first novel, and is a co-owner of Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio. Since 1995, Loung has made over 30 trips back to Cambodia and has devoted herself to helping her native land heal from the traumas of war. Loung‘s other works include Lucky Child and Lulu in the Sky. She was also a contributing writer on the groundbreaking film, Girl Rising.
First They Killed My Father will begin production later this year in Cambodia and will precede Jolie Pitt‘s filming of Africa, which focuses on paleo-anthropologist Dr. Richard Leakey‘s decades-long fight to save Africa from the illegal wildlife trade. Africa was postponed to provide additional time to get the script finalized and all production elements lined up properly to provide for the ambitious scope of the film. Jolie Pitt remains committed to making the film and continues her strong support of Dr. Leakey, the people of Kenya and ending wildlife crime and the illegal wildlife trade
Jolie Pitt is currently in post-production on By The Sea, an adult drama written and directed by and starring her and Brad Pitt, that will be released by Universal this year. Jolie Pitt recently directed Universal‘s Unbroken, based on the life of Olympian and World War II POW survivor Louis Zamperini. Jolie Pitt made her feature directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey.
Hollywood
Disney to cut 1,000 jobs in major restructuring drive
Layoffs span ESPN, studios and tech as company pivots to growth
MUMBAI: The magic isn’t disappearing but it is being reorganised. The Walt Disney Company has announced plans to cut around 1,000 jobs as part of a sweeping restructuring effort aimed at sharpening its edge in an increasingly unpredictable entertainment landscape. The move, led by CEO Josh D’Amaro, reflects a broader internal reset as the company rethinks how it operates, allocates resources and competes in a fast-evolving industry. In a memo to employees, D’Amaro acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but framed it as a necessary step to ensure Disney remains “efficient, innovative, and responsive” to rapid shifts in consumer behaviour and technology.
The layoffs will span multiple divisions, including marketing, film and television studios, ESPN, technology teams and corporate functions. Notifications have already begun, signalling that the restructuring is not a distant plan but an active transition underway.
Importantly, the company has clarified that the cuts are not performance-driven. Instead, they form part of a wider transformation strategy aimed at building a leaner, more agile organisation, one better equipped to respond to streaming dynamics, digital disruption and evolving audience expectations.
The timing is telling. The global entertainment industry is in the middle of a structural shift, with traditional television revenues under pressure and box office returns becoming increasingly volatile. Meanwhile, streaming platforms and digital-first competitors continue to redraw the rules of engagement, forcing legacy players to rethink scale, speed and storytelling formats.
For Disney, long synonymous with blockbuster franchises and timeless storytelling, the pivot is both strategic and symbolic. The company is doubling down on technology, direct-to-consumer services and content ecosystems that align with modern viewing habits, where audiences expect immediacy, personalisation and cross-platform experiences.
Even as the restructuring unfolds, D’Amaro struck a note of optimism, reiterating Disney’s commitment to creativity and long-term growth. Support measures for affected employees are expected as part of the transition, though details remain limited.
In essence, this is less about cutting back and more about reshaping forward. As Disney redraws its organisational map, the message is clear, in today’s entertainment world, even the most magical kingdoms must evolve or risk being left behind.
