Deadline has confirmed that Netflix film executives Lisa Nishimura and Ian Bricke are exiting the streamer amid a reorganization of the film group. All live-action film content now will be overseen by Kira Goldberg, Ori Marmur and Niija Kuykendall.
We hear that Netflix will continue to make indie pics, and that this whole plan was part of streamlining and solidifying ops.
Scott Stuber, Chairman of Netflix Film, said in a statement: “Lisa Nishimura joined Netflix in the DVD days, and as the company moved into streaming, she built our original documentary and stand-up comedy divisions from the ground up, and established Netflix as a powerhouse in both spaces. Her documentary work includes American Factory, My Octopus Teacher, Making a Murderer and Tiger King; and on the narrative film side her work includes Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, and the upcoming They Cloned Tyrone, Rustin and NYAD. Along the way, she has been a champion for inclusion on and off screen, a leader and mentor to countless colleagues, and a trusted partner to the creative community.”
Nishimura had a very big hot streak sources tell us at the streamer particularly with Making a Murderer and Tiger King, however, we hear that budgets became so huge as of late with in the doc sphere (all the way up to $40M), with little yield versus those notable docuseries back in the heyday.
Stuber added: “Ian Bricke has been at the company for more than a decade, building and leading our independent film team, attracting filmmakers like Tamara Jenkins, Nicole Holofcener, and Mark and Jay Duplass. He also championed fan favorites like The Kissing Booth and established our Emerging Filmmaker Initiative. We thank them both for their contributions to making us a world-class film studio and wish them the best for the future.”
Goldberg and Marmur, who were hired in 2021, oversee more tentpole-like projects, while Warner Bros. vet Kuykendall is involved in the development of mid-budget movies, having worked on Oscar winner A Star Is Born and the Magic Mike series at the Burbank, CA lot. Deadline first told you that Warner Bros VP Peter Dodd headed over to Netflix back in February as Film Team Director. He works on Kuykendall’s team.
