Why Netflix Fired Dan Lin: The Truth Behind the ‘Narnia’ Clash

Hollywood executive suites have rarely felt as unstable as they do right now, and Netflix is at the center of the storm. In a matter of days, the streamer has gutted its workforce, lost its content chief and parted ways with its top film executive. The question everyone is asking is why Netflix fired Dan Lin.

Netflix announced about 1,000 layoffs, roughly 6% of its workforce, on Wednesday, October 14. Among those caught up in the cuts was film VP Doug Belgrad, who had been Lin’s right-hand man since his first days on the job. Chief content officer Bela Bajaria also left, with Peter Rice set to replace her on October 26.

Lin then followed over the weekend. Variety now reports that Lin couldn’t find the balance between streaming titles and theatrical release experiments, according to sources. The outlet also says his clash with Greta Gerwig over ‘Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew’ was not directly what led to his firing.

According to Variety’s sources, Lin came across as dismissive toward Gerwig on a Zoom call earlier this year about the progress of the movie, which carries a reported $250 million budget. Other outlets have put the figure closer to $280 million, though neither number is official. Word traveled fast around Netflix that the meeting had gone badly.

Soon after, Lin disappeared from the film, per the same sources, and Belgrad stepped in as the primary Netflix executive overseeing the project. That arrangement ended when Belgrad was laid off last week.

The friction wasn’t a secret. Entertainment journalist Jeff Sneider previously reported that Lin offered plenty of notes on early cuts and promised to fix the movie in post-production after test screening issues. Reports also claim Netflix ordered reshoots after a summer screening, though the company hasn’t confirmed any of this.

The result, reportedly, was a buffer between Gerwig and Lin, with the director still working hard on the film. Another report says Gerwig’s representatives at CAA took the matter directly to co-CEO Ted Sarandos. Netflix hasn’t publicly confirmed that ‘Narnia’ contributed to Lin’s dismissal.

The film is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on February 12, 2027, before arriving on Netflix on April 2.

That balancing act is at the heart of the story. Lin took over the film division from Scott Stuber in 2024 and softened Netflix’s stance on theaters, starting by reporting box office data for the first time. Yet he also told The New York Times that the streamer had accepted it won’t work with filmmakers who insist on theatrical releases.

Those mixed signals came as Netflix gave ‘Narnia’ a full theatrical window. It also sent David Fincher’s ‘The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth’ to theaters in IMAX, even as the company kept its streaming focus.

Lin’s tenure was also marked by other clashes. Page Six reported that Fincher chose to exit his Netflix deal after butting heads with Lin over budgets on ‘Cliff Booth’, and that the director had enough of Lin’s shackles. Under Lin, Netflix’s original film output was cut by more than half, and a source close to Ben Affleck said the actor privately vented about him too.

A Universe Begins. See how Narnia was created in Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew, a film by Greta Gerwig – only in theaters February 12. https://t.co/jwxksCL0N7

— Netflix (@netflix) October 13, 2026

Lin leaves behind a substantial slate. IndieWire reports that he greenlit or acquired more than 85 movies, including ‘Apex,’ ‘Emilia Pérez’ and ‘Train Dreams,’ plus ‘Cliff Booth’ and ‘Narnia’. Ted Sarandos said in a statement that Lin’s strength as a producer was always clear.

Rice will name the new film leadership after taking over as chief content officer on October 26. Former Warner Bros. film chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca have surfaced in industry speculation, but neither has been confirmed for the job. For now, Netflix hasn’t said who will run its film division, leaving ‘Narnia’ and the rest of the slate in limbo.

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