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Sony Pictures to cut 216 jobs in California

An entrance gate to Sony Pictures Entertainment at the Sony Pictures lot is pictured in Culver City, California April 14, 2013. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

(Reuters) - Sony Pictures Entertainment plans to cut 216 jobs in California and has filed with the state Employment Development Department, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Reuters reported on Monday that Sony Pictures is expected to announce layoffs throughout its studio operations in the United States and abroad. Among the units that will be hit is the Sony interactive team that supports digital marketing.

Sony Pictures has about 6,500 employees worldwide.

Under pressure from hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb to improve profitability at its studio, in November Sony hired consultancy Bain & Co to identify more than $100 million (60.2 million pounds) in cost cuts through layoffs and other means.

Sony Pictures Entertainment earlier replaced its film marketing chief and said it intended to reduce its film marketing costs.

(Reporting by Ronald Grover in Los Angeles and Supriya Kurane in Bangalore; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)