Netflix announced Wednesday that producer Dan Lin would replace Scott Stuber as head of the streaming company.
Mr. Stuber led Netflix Film for seven years before announcing his departure last month. During his tenure, he brought a host of Oscar-winning filmmakers to Netflix and helped the company bring the rest of the entertainment industry into the streaming era.
Mr. Lin, 50, who was once a senior vice president of production at Warner Bros., is the founder of Rideback Productions, which was behind Netflix’s recent live-action remake of “Avatar: The Last airbender. He also served as a producer on the Oscar-nominated film “The Two Popes” for the streaming service and produced the “It” and “Lego” film franchises. He will report to Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer.
“Although I have been approached several times over my last 15 years at Rideback, I truly could never imagine leaving until Bela offered me this incredible opportunity,” Mr. Lin said in a statement.
The role Mr. Lin will occupy will likely be very different from the one held by Mr. Stuber. During Mr. Stuber’s tenure, budgets were huge and oversight was limited. Now, Netflix intends to significantly reduce the number of films it makes each year and place more emphasis on quality control.
The company remains firmly committed to its streaming strategy, however, and doesn’t seem inclined to please filmmakers who want their films in theaters before being available to Netflix subscribers.
