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We’ve been talking for months about the shifting tides at Netflix Film since Dan Lin took the reins from Scott Stuber. Now, thanks to a series of studio mandates from Jeff Sneider over at The Insneider, we have the actual internal blueprint for what Netflix is buying, greenlighting, and aiming for in 2026, and it comes with a few surprises.
It’s important to note what these mandates are and what they aren’t. The Tracking Board (rest in peace) used to publish annual lists similar to the way The Insneider has, and really, it gives a broad outline of what a studio wants based on conversations and provides a general direction of travel, and was quite useful, albeit accurate to a certain degree. Netflix has previously declined to publicly comment when we’ve approached them about these mandates. Still, they provide a fascinating, albeit potentially skewed, insight into the studio’s current objectives and priorities and are worth covering here even if all of these get thrown out the window if the right project comes walking through the door.
Given that Dan Lin doesn’t do all that many interviews (his last big one being the New York Times, where theatrical releases were the subject of much of the article), it’s nice to hear what they are gunning for.
Some headlines:
- Netflix is targeting just 30 original movies a year. We’ve known for a long time we’re no longer in the “one movie a week” era of Netflix, but we do seem to have found a new floor.
- Completion Rate is King. Music to our ears! The report explicitly states that the completion rate is the ultimate metric for success. We’ve been saying for years that starting a movie doesn’t matter if you turn it off after 20 minutes. Netflix wants you glued to the screen until the credits roll.
- No first-time directors? Per the report, Dan Lin wants massive, four-quadrant event films and holiday-focused titles. To get there, he’s reportedly steering clear of first-time directors in favor of established veterans. Fingers crossed this changes, given that first-time directors are having a bit of a run at the box office this year.
Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi & Horror (Ori Marmur)
Action remains one of Netflix’s most impactful and hands-on genres. Overseen by Ori Marmur, the streamer is heavily interested in elevating ’90s and early 2000s-style action movies—focusing on clean, grounded hooks across action-adventure and straight action-thrillers, although don’t expect any Rebel Moon-style projects anytime soon.
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Sci-Fi: Forget heavy space operas. Netflix wants “grounded,” Earth-bound (“on-world”) sci-fi. Heavy fantasy is mostly out, unless there is a massively strong underlying IP attached.
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Horror: Gone are the days of Netflix picking up horror “leftovers.” The new focus is on high-concept projects with smaller budgets, as well as elevated horror films with major movie star attachments.
Comedy & Rom-Coms (Jason Young)
Overseen by Jason Young, the comedy division is looking for a mix of massive event films and highly targeted, budget-friendly laughers.
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Big Swings: Star-driven vehicles (with regular partners like Adam Sandler and Kevin Hart) and big ensemble comedies in the vein of Bridesmaids.
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Targeted Hits: Sub-$20 million comedies aimed at specific audiences. The “North Stars” for these are Superbad and Roommates.
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Stand-up: Netflix is highly open to translating its massive roster of stand-up comics into feature film stars, including overall deals to partner with creators.
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Rom-Coms: The mandate here is “irreverent” and star/character-driven. The internal comps they are chasing include Notting Hill, There’s Something About Mary, Crazy, Stupid, Love, and their own To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
Family, Holiday & Faith-Based (Kira Goldberg)
Kira Goldberg’s department reportedly has money to spend before the end of the year and is actively looking to buy pitches and early development rather than pre-packaged projects.
Their wish list is incredibly specific:
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Family Adventure: Looking for original or IP-based swings like Jurassic Park or Jungle Cruise.
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High-Concept Family Comedy: Think Mrs. Doubtfire.
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Live-Action Hybrids: The streamer is actively wondering if there’s a public domain character (like the Cheshire Cat) ripe for a hybrid adaptation.
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Out-of-the-Box Talent: They want genre filmmakers or massive music artists who might surprisingly want to cross over into developing a family movie.
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YA/Coming-of-Age: Stories set in specific worlds (finance, sports, music) or featuring genre-bending hooks like Chronicle.
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Thrillers: Muscular, male-skewing thrillers in the vein of Cash Burn.
Our Takeaway
What this means for you as a subscriber is fewer, but theoretically much better, movies. Dan Lin’s mandate is reportedly clear: “Make Someone’s Favorite Movie.” By focusing on proven directors, grounded concepts, and movies that actually hold your attention to the very end, Netflix’s movie strategy is trimmed down from years prior, but they can afford to be, with the streamer able to complement its own offerings with literally everything that Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures produce soon after their theatrical windows end. The best of both worlds? We’ll see how it works!
Once again, you can find the full report here, where he also dives into Netflix UK’s mandate plus what they’re looking for at festivals for pickups.
What do you think of Netflix’s new game plan? Are you happy with fewer, bigger movies? Let us know in the comments below!
