Peter Rice Starts at Netflix Today With the Film Job Still Open
Summary
The new content chief arrives after 1,000 layoffs and Dan Lin's exit, as ex-Warner chiefs reportedly demand a real theatrical commitment.
Peter Rice begins as Netflix's chief content officer today, October 26, inheriting a film division without a leader after the company dismissed film chief Dan Lin, Deadline reported. Variety reported that Netflix cut roughly 1,000 employees the week before Lin's exit, and that the layoffs also affected his top deputy, Doug Belgrad, and indie film head Sheroum Kim. No successor for Lin has been named.
Former Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have been widely reported as candidates, Variety said. TheWrap's Sharon Waxman reported, as summarized by World of Reel, that the pair would want a "robust theatrical commitment" from Netflix before taking the job. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said on the company's October 20 earnings call that Netflix will release about 30 films theatrically this year.
