Probably because the actor’s name came more readily to mind, and if you’re already discussing the movie then you know who they’re referring to.

Not to be a party pooper, but a studio is only as good as its staff. If they really have laid off ‘nearly everyone’ then any creative vision they had is inevitably lost along with them.

They can claim continuity with a skeleton crew and design documents to use as reference, but it won’t be the same. Once you blow up a team there’s no going back.