Back in 2019, for example, if a filmmaker signed a deal with Netflix, it meant they were well paid and had complete creative freedom. Released in theaters? There aren't that many. Still, the pay and freedom, and the possibility of reaching a streaming service's huge subscriber base, help make up for the lack of fuss that occurs when traditional studios release films in multiplexes around the world. Ta.
But those days are in the past.
Dan Lin took over as Netflix's new head of film on April 1, and has already begun a transformation. He fired about 15 members of the creative film division's executive group, including a vice president and two directors. (Netflix's entire film division has about 150 people.) He reorganized the film division by genre rather than budget level, and Netflix no longer makes big-budget action movies with big-name movie stars like Ryan's “The Gray Man.” He said that it is not a place that only deals with. Gosling and Chris Evans or “Red Notice” with Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot and Dwayne Johnson.
Rather, Lin's mission is to appeal to the different interests of Netflix's 260 million subscribers by improving the quality of movies and producing a wider variety of films at different budget levels. . He also plans to change the way the company pays its staff, meaning large upfront contracts will no longer be necessary.
In other words, Netflix's era of austerity is well under way. The company declined to comment for this article.
Now that Netflix has emerged as a dominant streaming platform, you no longer have to shell out big bucks to attract filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuaron, and Bradley Cooper. It's also helped that some major studios are allowing movies to be shown on Netflix again soon after their theatrical release, offering more content to attract subscribers. The service's latest list of the 10 most-watched English-language movies included six made outside of Netflix.
Lin's predecessor, Netflix's head of film Scott Stuber, took the job in 2017, when the company had no track record as an original film production site. Mr. Stuber, who previously served as vice chairman of production at Universal Pictures, spent lavishly on talent to succeed, promising filmmakers almost complete creative freedom and big budgets. It worked to some extent. Directors were able to make passion projects, and their films were nominated for Oscars (though few won).
In 2021, the streamer reached the pinnacle of its production, vowing to release a new movie every week.
Mr. Stuber, a great friend to talent, lobbied Netflix to embrace the idea of a wide theatrical release. And when he landed the sequel to box office hit “Knives Out” in a $465 million deal, some thought it might be a major coup and a nod to a change of direction. That never happened.
Lin, who previously worked in production at Warner Bros. and produced hits such as Disney's “Aladdin,'' the “It'' movie series, and the “Lego'' series, aims to make Netflix's films better and better under his direction. It's cheaper and less frequent. Two people familiar with Lin's thinking, who declined to comment for this article, said he wants his team to become more active producers, waiting for projects from producers and agents to come their way. Instead, they hope to develop their own materials. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal communications. It is believed that this approach should allow them to have more say over the quality of the film.
Netflix had been reviewing its pay structure even before Lin's arrival. Since the company started sharing performance metrics last year, it has decided to reward filmmakers and actors based on their films' performance, similar to how traditional studios reward films that do well at the box office. There has been discussion about what to do.
However, a more economical budget approach and Netflix's continued reluctance to release films in theaters have led some Hollywood producers and agents to consider streaming services a priority when looking for a distributor for their films. They are frustrated that they are no longer their top choice.
Several notable filmmakers who made films for Netflix have moved on to their next projects. After making “The Irishman” for Netflix, Scorsese jumped to AppleTV+ to make “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Maggie Gyllenhaal is producing The Bride at Warner Bros. after directing her first film for the streamer in 2021, The Lost Daughter. Now, director Scott Cooper, who directed Netflix's Pale Blue Eye in 2022, is bringing the long-awaited Bruce Springsteen biopic starring Jeremy Allen White to 20th Century Fox. (New films from Netflix stalwarts Guillermo del Toro and Noah Baumbach are both in production for the service.)
Netflix recently made a bid for the rights to a short story involving Millie Bobby Brown, star of Netflix's “Stranger Things” and “Enola Holmes,” according to two people familiar with the matter. It is said that he refused. Additionally, a film adaptation by director Kathryn Bigelow based on David Koepp's apocalyptic novel “Aurora'' is not moving forward. The director left the project several months ago.
Edward Berger, who directed the four-Academy Award-winning film “All Quiet on the Western Front” for Netflix, has asked the service to cut the budget of the film he is making with Colin Farrell, three people familiar with the matter said. He is said to be complaining that he is doing so. He spoke about the deal on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.
A spokeswoman for Mr. Berger declined to comment.
Shortly after Mr. Stuber left, Bela Bajaria, Netflix's chief content officer, gathered film crews in a conference room and told them they needed to improve the quality of their films, according to three people familiar with the meeting. He said he told him. She spoke on condition of anonymity about internal communications. She also said she might want to consider leaving the company if she doesn't feel comfortable going in a different direction.
One thing that isn't likely to change any time soon is Netflix's strategy for theatrical releases, which has been a source of controversy with some filmmakers and stars, as well as theater owners.
“Pandemic data has made it clear that movies released exclusively through streaming do not have the same visibility and pop as movies that were first released in theaters,” said John, former president of the National Association of Theater Owners. said John Fithian, founding partner of the Theater Owners Association. Fithian Group advises clients on how to support their movie experience. “Most of the most-watched movies on streaming services are movies that were released theatrically for the first time.”
But many in the creative community are rooting for Lin. They're eager for Netflix to continue buying movies as business improves. The hope is that Netflix's new focus could greenlight movies that studios would say no to, and provide a home for more romantic comedies and mid-budget character studies in Hollywood's changing landscape. That means no.