Netflix has been making offers to movie theaters ever since it began making an offer to buy Warner Bros. Even after that deal fell through, Netflix remained committed to working with movie theaters by deciding to give Greta Gerwig’s The Chronicles of Narnia a full theatrical release. It’s all part of Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ effort to show the streaming giant is not the enemy.
But Dan Lin, chairman of Netflix’s film division, didn’t convey the same message during a recent sit-down with The New York Times.
“There’s a group of filmmakers who still want to do theater. They’re filmmakers who have accepted that we won’t work with them,” Lin told the paper, with his “trademark bluntness” expressed in the article.
This is in contrast to Lin’s predecessor, Scott Stuber. He has at times clashed with Mr. Sarandos over the struggle to give Netflix films by major auteurs such as Guillermo del Toro (“Frankenstein”) and Alfonso Cuaron (“ROMA”) a more substantial theatrical release than just an awards qualifier. And Stuber never gave up trying to win over film purists like Christopher Nolan.
“If he comes up with a new movie, it’s about can we be a home for that movie and what do we need to do to make that happen,” Stuber told Variety in 2021. “He’s a great filmmaker. I’m going to do the best I can.”
Stuber is known for its charm and strong ties to the creative community. Lin is an accomplished producer, and his list of hits includes “The Lego Movie” and “Sherlock Holmes.” However, he has a different style and, as the Times article highlights, is less interested in observing the virtues of Hollywood.
The story includes a rare anecdote about how Lynn fended off pressure from Sally Field to debut Remarkably Bright Creatures in the fall to improve her chances of receiving an Academy Award nomination. The article states, “Mr. Lin argued that this was a family drama and that the appropriate date was just before Mother’s Day.” “The film has remained in the streamer’s top 10 for the past month.”
Lin admits that his candor can sway talent in the wrong direction.
“One of the mistakes I made when I first started was that filmmakers were always saying, ‘Tell me the truth,'” Lin told the Times. And when I told them the truth, they may not have wanted to hear it. So now I’m learning how to read people’s feelings better. And when someone wants to hear the truth, I tell them in the most productive way possible. ”
Despite Lin’s comments, Netflix is still offering theatrical releases for some of its films, including David Fincher’s The Adventures of Cliff Booth, which will be shown on IMAX when it opens in December. But for exhibitors who were hoping Netflix would take more interest in their business, Lin’s remarks make it clear that it’s still all about streaming.
A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment or clarify Lin’s remarks to the Times.
