Netflix head of flim Dan Lin is the latest executive to depart from the streaming giant. (Erika Goldring – Getty Images)
By Nick Givas October 19, 2026 at 4:24pm
Netflix’s layoff spree shows no signs of stopping after news broke Monday that it fired Dan Lin, who has served as the streaming giant’s head of film for nearly three years.
Variety published a piece about his exit Monday morning, in which multiple sources confirmed Lin was let go over the weekend.
He was reportedly set to speak Monday with the teams he managed to discuss next steps. A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment to Variety on Lin’s departure.
After the news broke, however, Netflix confirmed it to the Hollywood Reporter and provided statements from Lin and co-CEO Ted Sarandos.
“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,” Lin said. “Thank you to Ted, Greg [Peters] and Bela for the opportunity.”
“I started working with Dan well before he joined us in 2024 and his strength as a producer was always clear,” Sarandos added.
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“Once he joined Netflix, I saw up close how his dedication to quality filmmaking, rigor around dealmaking and strategy, and collaborative spirit elevated our film business. I’m grateful to Dan for everything he’s done for Netflix films.”
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, former heads of the Warner Brothers Motion Picture Group, are currently being considered as replacements.
This is yet another piece of bad news for Netflix, which has already been having a tumultuous year.
In February, Paramount Skydance outbid them to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes film studios, HBO Max, CNN, and other legacy cable outlets.
Netflix also fired 1,000 workers last week, representing 6 percent of its global staff, marking the largest cutback since 2022.
Staff members were told the layoffs would affect the tech, legal, product, and human resources departments.
A company memo, authored by co-CEOs Greg Peters and Ted Sarandos, said, “Decisions like these are never easy, and we don’t take them lightly.”
“Our mission — to entertain the world — is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources,” the memo continued.
“Our business is strong and growing, and we remain on track to deliver our full-year forecast,” the co-CEOs added. “We’ll continue to invest aggressively in high-impact areas to improve our service and further drive growth and innovation.”
One day after those firings were announced, Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria was let go after being with the company for 10 years.
Additionally, Netflix film vice president Doug Belgrad and film director Sheroum Kim were fired during the restructuring.
Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice, who took over Bajaria’s role, has been tasked with finding Lin’s replacement, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
