Netflix Animation Erased: Executives Fired, Shows Canceled and Accusations of ‘Staged Data’ (Exclusive)
by DREW TAYLOR | April 20, 2022 @ 3:02 PM
Creators migrated to the streamer because of unprecedented creative freedom, now they’re facing a very different reality
Phil Rynda, whose official title is Netflix’s Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation, was let go this week, along with several of his staff, TheWrap can exclusively report and Netflix has confirmed.
According to several creators who spoke to TheWrap, the Kids & Family space at Netflix Animation has changed. Series that benefited from great word-of-mouth and critical praise aren’t being renewed and several high-profile projects have been unceremoniously canceled, including the long-delayed adaptation of Jeff Smith’s beloved comic book series “Bone” (first announced back in 2019). Netflix, which just saw its stock plummet more than 30% after revealing a subscriber and revenue loss during its first-quarter earning report Tuesday, isn’t just in trouble on Wall Street. It’s also facing complications in Toon Town.
Bone, in particular, is a blow – this off-kilter comic was a prime candidate for adaptation.
Additionally, an animated adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Twits has been canceled, although the project will reportedly live on as a feature film. Lauren Faust’s Toil and Trouble was also canceled.
These cancellations come amid rumors of a changing direction at Netflix Animation. “We want to be the home of everybody’s favorite show,” Rynda originally told creators… but this mantra was replaced by: “We want to make what our audience wants to see,” from Netflix Co-CEO Reed Hastings.
Conversely, Boss Baby is touted as the pinnacle of how animation should perform on Netflix, despite the fact that the animated series isn’t owned by Netflix at all – it’s licensed from DreamWorks.
When it comes to cancellations, or the threat of them, several creators including City of Ghosts director Elizabeth Ito, have complained of Netflix using “staged data” to make their point – using manipulated data to justify lack of funding or cancellation despite critical acclaim for projects.
Equally frustrating for creators has been Netflix’s marketing protocols. Promotion typically doesn’t begin until one month before release and sometimes the title itself isn’t even announced before then. This leaves a very small window to generate hype for projects, which is especially difficult for smaller animated projects which rely on creators generating hype themselves via social media.
Netflix Animation has been side-lined on its official shop, too with not a single item from a Kids & Family animated project.
