Netflix names Dan Lin as best film manager

Netflix said Wednesday that producer Dan Lin would replace Scott Stuber as the streaming company’s top film director.

Mr. Stuber was head of Netflix Film for seven years before announcing he was leaving last month. During his tenure, he brought a bevy of Oscar-winning filmmakers to Netflix and helped the company push the rest of the entertainment industry into the streaming age.

Mr. Lin, 50, once a senior vice president of production at Warner Bros., is the founder of Rideback Productions, which was behind Netflix’s recent live-action remake of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” He also produced the Oscar-nominated film “The Two Popes” for the streaming service, and produced the “It” and “Lego” film franchises. He will report to Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer.

“Although I have been approached many times over the past 15 years at Rideback, I truly could never imagine myself leaving until Bela presented this incredible opportunity,” Mr. Lin said in a statement.

The role Mr. Lin will fill will likely be very different from that of Mr. Stuber. During Mr. Stuber’s tenure, budgets were enormous and there was little oversight. Now Netflix plans to significantly reduce the number of films it makes each year and place more emphasis on quality control.

However, the company remains firmly committed to its streaming-first strategy and appears reluctant to indulge filmmakers who want their films released in theaters before they become available to Netflix subscribers.