Netflix Shifts Away from High-Cost Director Deals
AI-generated image · US National Wire
The streamer is parting ways with prestige filmmakers as it recalibrates its content strategy amid shifting industry dynamics.
Netflix is pivoting away from the lengthy, high-profile production deals that defined its previous era of prestige content, as The Verge first reported. The streamer recently ended a six-year partnership with director David Fincher, which began in 2020 and included projects such as *Mank* and *The Killer*. While critically acclaimed, these films struggled financially; *Mank* earned approximately $100,000 against a $25 million budget, and *The Killer* grossed $452,000 against a $175 million budget.
Other notable departures include director Shawn Levy, who signed a new overall deal with Disney, and *Stranger Things* co-creators Matt and Ross Duffer, who signed a four-year production deal with Paramount in August 2025. Netflix has also parted ways with writer-director Noah Baumbach following projects like *White Noise* and *Jay Kelly*.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told The Hollywood Reporter that the exits of Levy and the Duffer brothers were driven by the creators' desire to focus on feature films. Specifically, Levy is slated for *Star Wars: Starfighter* next May, and the Duffers have an untitled film coming to Paramount in 2028. Additionally, the Duffer brothers' series *The Boroughs* was canceled one month after its May debut.
Despite these exits, The Verge reports that Netflix continues to bank on select creators. The company maintains a production deal with Guillermo del Toro and is positioning Greta Gerwig’s upcoming *Narnia* films as major events with seven-week theatrical windows. Rian Johnson is also mentioned as a key figure, having recently completed a $450 million deal for two *Knives Out* sequels.