MUMBAI: Disney is downsizing staff of its Miramax specialty division. This follows Dick Cook‘s resignation as studio chairman a couple of weeks ago.

In all likelihood Rich Ross president of Disney Channels Worldwide will succeed Cook.

By January, about 50 jobs will be downsized that will leave about 20 employees in the unit‘s New York office.

Disney said that Daniel Battsek will remain as Miramax president, overseeing development and production out of New York. The trimmed-down Miramax will release only about three movies per year.

The unit has released four movies so far this year like Adventureland, Cheri, Extract, and The Boys Are Back and has Everybody‘s Fine, starring Robert De Niro, on deck for a Dec. 4 release. Last year, Miramax released eight films, the highest-grossing of which was the drama Doubt.

Next year, Miramax will release The Tempest, the Shakespeare adaptation directed by Julie Taymor; the Helen Mirren thriller The Debt; romantic drama Last Night starring Keira Knightley and the Jennifer Aniston/Jason Bateman rom-com The Baster.