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Yesterday, director Bela Bajaria was fired from her position as chief content officer at Netflix, sparking speculation as to why.
Variety’s report cites sources speculating that she could be a ‘scapegoat’ for larger business issues, including slowing user engagement and layoffs.
At the same time, two separate reports have emerged over the past few days about Netflix’s two biggest movie gambles for the next six months. These are David Fincher’s “The Furious Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth” and Greta Gerwig’s “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.”
First, Page Six’s Tatiana Siegel reports that Fincher decided to end his Netflix deal after hitting one too many walls with film chairman Dan Lin, who he took over in 2024. Under Lin, Netflix’s original film output fell by more than half.
Fincher’s push for extensive reshoots for ‘Cliff Booth’ resulted in only a few days of additional photography being approved. Nevertheless, the film’s budget is said to be over $200 million.
InSneider reports friction between Lin and Greta Gerwig over “Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew.” Lin provided copious notes on the early cuts and promised to ‘fix’ the film in post-production after test screening issues.
As a result, there is reportedly a ‘buffer’ between Gerwig and Lin at the moment, with the former still hard at work on the film. Lin was left out of Netflix’s job cuts this week, which saw 1,000 employees laid off on Wednesday.
However, The Wrap’s Sharon Waxman reported this morning that Lin may no longer fit the model, with Peter Rice replacing Bajaria and overseeing all content. Especially if at least one of these expensive movies flops.
It’s been speculated that the film’s directors, Michael de Luca and Pam Abdy, have just been kicked out of Warner Bros. Pictures, but if they’re on board, a theatrical release should likely be guaranteed.
Some real details are expected to be revealed next week when Netflix reports its next quarter earnings.