Netflix Animation Execs Fired, Shows Cancelled Following Shakeups

Netflix has reportedly fired an executive from their Animation department as well as his staff, amid an aggressive shakeup in the division.

According to The Wrap, Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation Phil Rynda was let go from Netflix Animation this week, along with several of his staff.

Rynda and his team wasn’t the only one on the cutting board though- The Wrap also reports that his removal is followed by the cancellation of several projects being produced by Netflix, such as their adaptation of Jeff Smith’s Bone.

That’s not the only one, though- Lauren Faust’s Toil And Trouble is also reportedly axed, and Roald Dahl’s the Twists is supposedly still alive, but being retooled from a series to a feature film.

The Wrap’s report also paints a picture of what it’s like working under Netflix’s animation wing- with an emphasis on a focus shift to getting numbers, touting Dream Works’ Boss Baby as the ideal for what they should be pulling in.

On a related note, animators for studios contracted by Netflix to work on shows like The Cuphead Show have also previously mentioned the unfair deals penned by Netflix, further adding to the woes of animators hoping to work on the next big streaming series.

The Aftermath Of A Disaster

These shakeups are likely a result of Netflix’s own poor financial reports– the company is in for a rough time as it just weathered a 35% drop in stock, following announcing they were slowing in subscriber growth.

This follows even more bad press as Netflix continues to insist on cracking down on password sharing- a likely attempt to get more subscribers on the service as the company struggles to maintain growth momentum following the pandemic surge.