As Netflix shifts its film production strategy, producer Dan Lin will be taking on leadership of the company’s movie slate.
Dan Lin has been named as the new head of films at Netflix. Lin is an admired producer who has long been tipped for a high-profile role like this. You might recall that a couple of years ago, he was a frontrunner for the job to take over the DC Universe at Warner Bros. That role eventually went to James Gunn and Peter Safran, but Lin was very much in the running for that role; ultimately, his involvement with non-profit production company Rideback was said to be one of the reasons why he didn’t take the hot seat.
As broken by The Hollywood Reporter, Lin replaces Scott Stuber, whose departure was announced back in January. It marks a pretty quick turnaround for Netflix, given that Stuber firmed up the next 12 months of film production before leaving. Much of the company’s movie slate is already locked in for the next year, so the general thinking was that Stuber’s successor might not be named for a while.
Still, Lin is now in and he joins the company at a period of transition for its film division. We’ve heard plenty to suggest that Stuber was keen to make fewer films, wanting to focus on quality over quantity. It has also been suggested that Netflix’s refusal to consider theatrical distribution meant that the company’s film division was losing ground to its streaming rivals when pitching for projects, given that Amazon and Apple also have deep pockets but can also offer filmmakers the attractive proposition of a theatrical release.
Lin knows Netflix well, having served as executive producer of the company’s successful new series Avatar: The Last Airbender. His other high-profile work as producer includes The Lego Movie, It, and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies.
Given that this year’s slate is already confirmed, it could be a little while before we see Lin’s influence take shape. But given that there are rumours of more price hikes on the horizon for Netflix customers, Lin will be tasked with making sure the company’s film offerings are attractive enough to retain (and grow) its customer base.
