Netflix’s former head of film, Dan Lin, reportedly had a bitter falling out with Greta Gerwig over Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew before he was fired. Variety reports that Lin and the Barbie director clashed on a Zoom call earlier this year, and that Lin was subsequently taken off the film. Variety’s sources don’t link the incident to his dismissal, which Co-CEO Ted Sarandos delivered by phone on Friday.
According to Variety, four sources with knowledge of the matter described a call attended by numerous Netflix executives. Lin is said to have been “dismissive” towards Gerwig as they discussed the film’s progress. The report says Netflix’s then-chief content officer Bela Bajaria then phoned Gerwig’s producer Amy Pascal to smooth things over, while two sources said Gerwig’s CAA agent Bryan Lourd went to Sarandos directly. All of Variety’s sources agreed Lin was then removed from the project. Lin’s deputy Doug Belgrad stepped in as the primary Netflix executive on the film, until he was laid off last week in a 6% workforce reduction that also claimed Bajaria.
The stakes are high because Variety describes Narnia as a $250 million theatrical-first gamble. Individuals with knowledge of Lin told the outlet he persuaded Sarandos that family-driven IP should get exclusive cinema windows before streaming. Yet IGN notes that Lin said not long before his exit that Netflix “just won’t work with” filmmakers who still want a theatrical release. That’s a notable position for the executive overseeing a cinema-first Gerwig film.
Variety also gives Lin’s side. One defender said he’s never “afraid to talk about how to make a movie better”, and another person familiar with the company said many filmmakers could describe Lin’s delivery the same way. The outlet adds that Lin is known in town as fair, if sometimes blunt. It also cautions against reading too much into the story, noting that the industry doubted Barbie until opening weekend, when the film went on to gross $1.44 billion worldwide.
For now, the film’s rollout is on course. Netflix recently began its marketing push with a trailer and a new poster, and we covered the first poster reaction as it landed. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew opens exclusively in cinemas on 12 February 2027, with IMAX previews from 10 February, and streams on Netflix from 2 April. Our release-date post has the details on the wide theatrical run. The cast includes David McKenna, Beatrice Campbell, Emma Mackey, Carey Mulligan, Ciarán Hinds, Daniel Craig and Meryl Streep.
Lin’s replacement isn’t confirmed. One high-placed source told Variety that former Warner Bros. film heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy are “probably” the pick, while Peter Rice, the veteran film and TV executive, will now oversee Netflix’s content.
Did the Gerwig clash get Dan Lin fired?
Not according to Variety. Its sources say none of them suggested the incident led to his dismissal. The outlet cites competing explanations instead, including Netflix’s poor stock performance, declining engagement and Lin’s struggle to balance streaming titles with theatrical experiments.
Is Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew still coming to cinemas?
Yes. The film opens exclusively in cinemas on 12 February 2027, with IMAX previews from 10 February, before it reaches Netflix on 2 April. Nothing in the reporting suggests a change to that plan.
Who oversees the film at Netflix now?
Variety says Belgrad took over as primary executive after Lin was removed, but he has since been laid off. The reporting doesn’t name who has replaced him.
