Link to page This is quite shocking to hear, after how big a success How to Train Your Dragon 2 was. 500 people is quite a lot to discard of. Also two films a year now instead of 3? I am seriously hoping the quality still stays.
Often thousands work on a single movie. I don't think 500 is really much. Go to any movie you like that has a lot of special effects etc. The titling lasts for a very long time, especially if you are waiting for a "end gift" of a teaser behind the movie titles at the very end (a lot of ppl have left by then in the theaters). Not many have them, but we made the habit of always sitting them out. Is also very nice once you do get out, not in the big mass for the toilets, no pushing etc. I went to the movie "The Hobbit: The battle of The Five Armies" the titling on the end lasted for a good 7 minutes or more.... row after row of names doing "Lead" this or "Assistant" that.
I know how many people work on a film. As I work in a cinema and have to clean whilst the credits are rolling. It's just the fact that they had to let of that many people because of millions of loss due to the quality of the films being poor. I got to see Howard the Duck so many times during the release of Guardians of the Galaxy.