Dan Lin Is Named Netflix’s Top Movie Executive

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Mr. Lin is part of the new guard of producers who have built companies that tap into the times, notably inclusion. He is known in Hollywood as a strong executive with great relationships.

And his ability to toggle between all-audience blockbusters like “Aladdin” and prestige pictures like “The Two Popes” suggests he has the skills to oversee Netflix’s varied film slate. He’s currently producing the live-action version of “Lilo & Stitch” for Walt Disney.

Most recently, Mr. Lin’s name had been bandied for the job running DC Studios for Warner Bros. (That role was eventually split between the filmmaker James Gunn and the producer Peter Safran.)

Yet, the role Mr. Lin will occupy at Netflix is likely to be far different than the one Mr. Stuber did. During Mr. Stuber’s tenure, budgets were huge and oversight was scant. He was responsible for bringing acclaimed filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Alfonso Cuarón and Jane Campion to the streaming service.

Their Netflix films later landed multiple Oscar nominations. Mr. Stuber also spent lavishly on visual effects-heavy spectacles with A-list stars like “Red Notice” and “The Gray Man,” which were trounced by critics but performed well on the service.

Now, Netflix intends to pare down the number of films it makes every year significantly and place a greater emphasis on quality control. The streaming giant has also benefited greatly recently from other studios’ willingness to license their films. In its most recent most-watched list, six of the 10 most popular movies on the service were from other studios.

Netflix also remains firmly committed to its streaming-first strategy, even while other streaming services like Apple and Amazon are dipping their toes into the theatrical marketplace. The streaming giant, however, does not seem inclined to indulge filmmakers who want their films to be in theaters before becoming available to Netflix subscribers — a factor that could prove challenging for Mr. Lin as he tries to build his own slate of films.