Netflix appears to be grappling with an internal crisis, and no one is being spared. Not long ago we reported that whispers about the world’s most famous streaming platform heading into a colossal round of layoffs were making the rounds, and it seems the rumors were true. The purge has begun and it looks set to be larger than expected, as it is sweeping away even some of the most high-profile public-facing executives.
The most recognizable name among those affected by the restructuring is Dan Lin, who had been the head of the film department. The news was confirmed through multiple channels, including an official statement from the company’s co-CEO as well as from Lin himself. His departure comes after three years in the role and with high-profile productions under his supervision, from successes like Frankenstein to the upcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew. In fact, his contract was still far from ending.
New Roles
The statement from Lin himself is somewhat concise, but he thanks the time he has been able to spend with the company. “It has been a great privilege to lead this incredible team and to work with filmmakers and extraordinary talent to bring their films to the world. Thanks to Ted, Greg and Bela for this opportunity,” he wrote in his departure notice.
For the moment there will be no announcement about who will replace Lin in the post as head of the film division, so speculation will linger in the air in the coming days. Some rumors from internal sources at the company point to names such as Mike DeLuca and Pam Abdy, but it is too early to know for sure. Time will tell.
Shift in the Cycle
With this move, Netflix begins a new chapter in terms of the cinematic productions it will oversee. It is early to know the direction it will take in the coming months, but we do know that the number of layoffs we reported could have been an undercount. The latest reports raise the number of affected employees to a thousand, an increase of two hundred people compared with what we estimated a few weeks ago.
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