Netflix Removes Dan Lin as Head of Film After Nearly Three Years

Dan Lin has been removed from his role as Netflix’s head of film after serving for nearly three years, multiple sources told Variety. The departure comes just days after the streamer cut roughly 1,000 jobs in a large layoff. The round ended with the surprising dismissal of chief content officer Bela Bajaria. Lin’s exit was reported to have happened at the start of the weekend, and he is expected to meet his film teams on Monday. He attended the Academy Gala on Saturday and was seen Sunday evening at a Netflix‑hosted screening of the film “La Bola Negra.” A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment immediately. The company is in the middle of a major creative reshuffle, prompted by reports of weaker viewer engagement and flat stock performance following its failed bid for Warner Bros. The reshuffle includes hiring veteran film and TV executive Peter Rice to take over Bajaria’s duties. In the days before Lin left, the layoffs also removed his close associate Doug Belgrad and the indie‑film head Sheroum Kim. Lin rose to the Netflix film chief position in 2024 after building a successful independent production company, Rideback, known for the animated “Lego” movies, Stephen King’s “It” adaptations and the “Sherlock Holmes” series. He left Rideback to replace long‑time film lead Scott Stuber. In a June interview with The New York Times, Lin said he had green‑lit or acquired 88 titles for Netflix, highlighting “Apex,” “Emelia Perez,” “Here Comes the Flood,” “The Further Mis‑Adventures of Cliff Booth” and Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.”

Context

Netflix’s recent leadership changes and job cuts are part of a broader effort to reduce costs and revive growth after subscriber numbers slowed and a costly acquisition attempt fell through.