Netflix Film Chief Dan Lin Says the Streamer “Just Won’t Work” With Filmmakers Who Demand Theatrical Releases

Remember when Netflix tried really hard to acquire Warner Bros., with CEO Ted Sarandos publicly insisting the company would give feature films a 45-day theatrical window? Those were the days.

Sure, they recently gave Greta Gerwig’s ‘Narnia’ an unprecedented — by their standards — 54-day theatrical window before hitting streaming. Exhibitors were beaming over the news. But Dan Lin, Chairman of Netflix’s Film Division, confirms ‘Narnia’ will be an outlier.

In an interview with The New York Times, aptly titled “Netflix is done coddling Hollywood,” Lin emphasizes that “Narnia” was an exception and that if any filmmaker attempts to push Netflix to give their film a theatrical release, they will be shown the door.

There is a group of filmmakers who still want theatrical. Those are filmmakers that we’ve accepted we just won’t work with.

So, in case you didn’t get the memo, Netflix’s strict no-theatrical policy is still very much intact for the foreseeable future, and if it means losing marquee directors, then so be it.

Netflix has already lost a bunch of big names due to this strict policy.

Zach Cregger’s “The Flood” stalled because Netflix refused to give it a theatrical release — the project is now at Warner Bros. Joseph Kosinski turned down the streamer’s offer for “F1” over its lack of a theatrical plan. Emerald Fennell rejected a higher Netflix bid for “Wuthering Heights” to ensure a proper rollout. The Duffer Brothers left for Paramount for the same reason. And Rian Johnson? He practically begged — and later fought — for a wide release of “Knives Out,” only to have his demands rejected.

Netflix believes theatrical exhibition is becoming obsolete, while more and more top creatives are making it clear they disagree. With 2026 turning a handful of films into cultural events, including “Backrooms,” “Obsession,” “Project Hail Mary,” and “Michael,” Netflix is looking more foolish than ever.

In the meantime, Netflix has two “big” movies coming out this fall: Fernando Meirelles’ “Here Comes the Flood,” starring Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson, and David Fincher’s ‘Cliff Booth.’ Both are expected to receive two-week Oscar-qualifying runs in theaters — the bare minimum — although the latter will also be getting IMAX screens.