Doug Belgrad
Sebastian Reuter/Getty Images
Dan Lin has found his right hand man.
Former Sony head turned producer Doug Belgrad is joining Netflix as vice president of film.
“We are thrilled to welcome Doug to our film team as Vice President of Film,” said Lin in a statement. “He brings a wealth of experience to the role from his many years as a respected studio executive, producer and co-financier. We will be leaning on Doug’s great creative instincts, his eye for talent, and his deep relationships across the filmmaking and talent community. We can’t wait for him to get started and look forward to his many contributions as we pursue our mission to make best-in-class films across every genre.”
Belgrad’s hire is the first major exec move by Lin, who took over as head of film in April after taking over the job from Scott Stuber. Lin is tasked with steering the streamer’s film output into a new era of constrained cost and at the same time, high quality.
A Sony exec for over 25 years, Belgrad worked his way up to the post of president of the studio where he was the no. 2 to Amy Pascal, then the studio’s co-chairman. He was also the president of Columbia Pictures, working on the Spider-Man franchise, Jumanji, Ghostbusters, Men in Black, 21 Jump Street, and other franchises. He also over saw a range of prestige drama, among them The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty, Captain Phillips, and American Hustle, as well as R-rated comedies such as Bad Teacher, Sex Tape and This is the End.
Belgrad left the studio in 2016, launching 2.0 Entertainment, a film and television production and financing company. The company is based at Sony and was involved in the making of Bad Boys For Life, which grossed over $425 million in 2020; The Pope’s Exorcist, starring Russell Crowe, which was released in 2023; and 2019’s Charlie’s Angels.
Belgrad executive produced and 2.0 co-financed Peter Rabbit, which grossed $350 million worldwide, Zombieland 2, and Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway.
2.0 Entertainment will continue on, with the slate transitioning to the leadership of executives Sophie Cassidy and Zack Conroy.
Lin has been re-organizing Netflix’s film side since taking over. One of his early acts was to split the features division by genre — such as sci-fi, rom-com and faith-based. Under the new structure, Ori Marmur is overseeing action, fantasy, horror and sci-fi titles, while Kira Goldberg is handling thrillers, dramas and family films. Niija Kuykendall is overseeing faith-based, young adult and holiday offerings, while Jason Young handles comedies and rom-coms.
“From the first time we met about this role, I felt we shared a vision about the future of film at Netflix,” said Belgrad in a statement. “As an executive and producer, I’ve been fortunate to work with many of the world’s most talented filmmakers and performers. There is no better place to continue that work than Netflix, whose global reach and resources are unmatched. While it isn’t easy to leave 2.0 Entertainment, the company is in great hands with Sophie and Zack. I’ll watch proudly as they continue to turn out great entertainment.”
