Imagine Entertainment cuts staffers

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment has laid off five employees, including top production exec Jeremy Steckler.Cuts come just two days after Imagine reupped its deal with Universal through 2016 -- though the formerly exclusive pact was changed to a first-look deal.Imagine prexy Michael Rosenberg said the layoffs have more to do with the changing economic landscape in the business and less to do with the new deal. He added that while Steckler was a part of the layoffs, his contract was up in a couple of months and both parties had decided not to extend it. Contact Justin Kroll at justin.kroll@variety.com