Netflix’s film chief Dan Lin is drawing a hard line: if a filmmaker demands a traditional theatrical-first release, they’re not a fit for the streamer.
“There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical. Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted we just won’t work with,” Lin told The New York Times, speaking with what the outlet called his “trademark bluntness.”
The statement comes as Netflix experiments with limited theatrical runs, most notably for Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, which will get a full cinema rollout before hitting the platform in 2027. But Lin insists that’s an exception.
Lin took over Netflix’s film division in April 2024, replacing Scott Stuber, who courted A-list auteurs and sometimes clashed with leadership over theatrical windows. Lin is more of an implementer: less charm, more execution.
“Because I have such a huge slate, my job is very different from other studio chairmen’s jobs,” he said. “I can’t impose my taste on the slate. But I can impose a way of making movies. I can impose a way of how we want to work with filmmakers. I think people on the outside are pretty clear on what I’m going for: making someone’s favorite movie in a specific genre, focusing on variety and quality and making Netflix the best place for filmmakers to work.”
Lin’s mandate is to spend less money on fewer, better movies. He’s scaled back the sheer volume compared to Stuber’s era, though Netflix still greenlights far more films than legacy studios—88 movies in Lin’s two years, versus roughly 12–15 a year at most traditional studios.
He wants more comedies, romantic comedies, and book adaptations—types of films he says he grew up watching that “people aren’t making anymore.” The Emily Henry rom-com People We Meet on Vacation, starring newcomers Emily Bader and Tom Blyth, is his model. It drew more than 17 million views in its opening weekend and helped launch new homegrown stars.
“The goal was to have really great movies on Netflix and have consistency in quality, and he has delivered that,” said Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s chief content officer.
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Lin’s approach is closer to TV production: viewers don’t open Netflix looking for “expensively produced” content; they want a story in a genre they love.
Lin calls himself a “servant leader,” with a daily mantra: “How do I create an environment where my filmmakers can succeed? How do I create an environment where my executives can succeed?”
For filmmakers, he’s introduced a “story trust” for screenwriters, plus “Ask Me Anything” dinners and sessions on AI. For executives, he’s more direct: reorganized by genre, expect more hustle, develop in-house.
That directness has stirred friction. Lin admits his honesty can ruffle feathers in a town where “artifice is standard and egos are fragile.”
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“One mistake I made when I first joined the company,” he said, “was that filmmakers always said to me, ‘Please tell me the truth.’ And when I told them the truth, they might not have wanted to hear it. So now I’m learning how to better read people. And if someone tells me they want to hear the truth, I tell it in a way that can be as productive as possible.”
He’s also unusually accessible: “If you talk to anyone in the business, I’m probably the most responsive, most approachable studio chairman there is in town,” he said. “I make my own phone calls. I don’t go through my assistant.”
The Times profile includes a telling anecdote: Sally Field pushed for a fall release of Remarkably Bright Creatures to maximize Oscar chances. Lin argued the film was a family drama best timed for just before Mother’s Day.
He held his ground. The movie has stayed in Netflix’s Top 10 for a month.
Lin’s style can be odd. In January, he hosted a dinner for Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and others behind The Rip. Halfway through, he announced they’d play Mafia, a party game where the best liar wins.
The group went along.
“I don’t know if you’ve played Mafia with actors,” Lin told the Times, “but they are really good.”
When asked if he was good, he laughed: “I was terrible,” he said. “They literally said, ‘Dan, you are terrible at Mafia.’”
Outside of Narnia, Netflix has flirted but not committed. KPop Demon Hunters became the streamer’s first No. 1 at the box office, generating over $19 million in a two-day opening. Even after a Halloween re-release, co-CEO Ted Sarandos emphasized “there’s no change in the strategy.”
David Fincher’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth, starring Brad Pitt and scripted by Quentin Tarantino, will have a two-week global Imax run before heading to Netflix on Dec. 23.
But for exhibitors hoping Netflix is softening toward theaters, Lin’s remarks are a reality check: the core model is streaming.
Lin’s approach extends to casting. For Apex, a survival thriller in the Australian wilderness, he knew he wanted Charlize Theron.
“Charlize is one of one,” Lin said. “She was the only one that could do it.”
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Rather than a fancy restaurant, he invited her to Netflix’s cafeteria.
“The strategy is: Is she game?” he said. “Is she willing to roll up her sleeves and get into it with us?”
Apex premiered as Netflix’s No. 1 film, with more than 100 million views in its first 30 days. Vulture called it “more like a real movie than your average Netflix joint.”
Lin’s tenure signals a shift: from proving Netflix belongs in Hollywood to defining what Hollywood means for a streaming-first world. Directors who still want theatrical-first may find themselves outside Netflix’s orbit.
“There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical,” Lin said. “Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted we just won’t work with.”
