Netflix dismisses film chief Dan Lin after almost three years

Netflix has dismissed Dan Lin as its film chief after almost three years in the job, Variety reported on 19 October 2026.

Lin held the title Chairman of Netflix Film, the executive in charge of which movies the streaming service makes and buys. He had replaced Scott Stuber in the role after stepping away from Rideback, the production company he founded and led as chief executive.

The exit follows a wider shake-up at the top. Chief content executive Bela Bajaria was fired and former Fox and Disney executive Peter Rice was hired to replace her, while roughly 1,000 Netflix employees were laid off in the week before Lin's departure, according to the same Variety report. Two members of Lin's own film team left just before him. They were deputy Doug Belgrad and Sheroum Kim, head of the indie film vertical.

Rice has not started yet. As of 15 October, he was due to begin at Netflix in 10 days, Deadline reported. Rice built his career at Fox and Disney, Page Six noted, before moving into his new role overseeing Netflix's series and film output.

Lin arrived with a long producing record. He was named Chairman of Netflix Film in April 2024 and was scheduled to start on 1 April that year, reporting to Bajaria as chief content officer, Reuters reported at the time. His earlier credits include producing Sherlock Holmes and Aladdin, as reported by Reuters and Deadline.

In June, Lin said Netflix should prioritise more mid-budget films, the modestly priced titles that sit between small independent releases and big spectacles, Deadline reported.

For anyone watching from the sofa, the film chief shapes what gets ordered, funded and scheduled long before it reaches the home screen. The decision on Lin's future had been left to Bajaria's replacement, Puck reported on 15 October. The cuts ran deep. What happens next sits with Rice as he walks through the door.