When Netflix snapped up Carl Erik Rinsch’s sci-fi television project in 2018, the streaming giant was aggressively vying with rivals like Amazon and Apple to lock in the next hot showrunner. A frenzied bidding war had erupted over the director’s concept for a show called “Conquest,” a Black Mirror-esque anthology in which a scientist creates an android species that turns on humanity.
On paper, the deal seemed incredibly risky. Rinsch was virtually unknown, his eclectic resume comprised of just one feature - the 2013 Keanu Reeves film 47 Ronin - which had flopped spectacularly. Not only did Rinsch demand an unprecedented $62 million budget for the unproven idea, but he insisted on unusually ironclad creative authority.
Still, Netflix eagerly outmaneuvered heavyweight competitors, convinced it had found the next hitmaker who could deliver a crossover smash to eclipse its own runaway sensation, Stranger Things.
Trouble surfaced almost immediately during shoots in Budapest. Rinsch displayed increasingly erratic behavior, allegedly staying awake for days on end, hurling objects around set, and accusing his wife and co-creator Gabriela Rosés Bentancor of plotting to murder him. Multiple insiders raised concerns Rinsch had become dependent on ADHD medication Vyvanse.
Rosés described Rinsch deteriorating mentally over months of production delays. At one point he fixated on imaginary “organic intelligent forces” represented by passing airplanes. He also claimed to have mapped coronavirus signals within the earth’s core.
By March 2020, Rinsch had blown through $44 million of Netflix’s upfront commitment. When he returned cap-in-hand for another cash infusion, the company reluctantly transferred $11 million more. Rinsch promptly sunk almost $6 million into speculative biotech stock bets, which he lost. Later, as crypto markets rallied, he would credit God and crypto when his Dogecoin moonshot cashed out at $27 million.
In the spring of 2021, when Netflix finally pulled the plug, Rinsch had nothing to show for tens of millions in sunk costs. Netflix initiated proceedings to recover whatever funds hadn’t already vanished. For his part, Rinsch maintained all his conspicuous luxury purchases - including a Ferrari and five customized Rolls-Royce vehicles - constituted legitimate production expenses.
Cornered to explain his lavish personal expenditures, Rinsch first swore the luxury vehicles, couture garments, and expensive accessories were all props bought legitimately for filming purposes. He insisted every dollar went directly into set materials, with Netflix's production funds handled per their agreement. However, his story morphed when embroiled in arbitration over the contentious contract. Rinsch suddenly claimed Netflix still fell significantly short, owing him upwards of $14 million more before he'd consider them square.
The entire saga stands as a warning about starving talent of guardrails under the auspices of creative freedom. Netflix’s $62 million gamble may have lured a prestigious talent cross-over in the red-hot streaming wars. But instead it wound up fueling the self-immolation of an unaccountable outsider who left the company with no series to show and eight-figure losses on its books.
Lead image by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar, used under Creative Commons.
"He also claimed to have mapped coronavirus signals within the earth’s core." It's so wild that someone like this can personally get tens of millions of dollars and not produce anything with it.
geeeeze. I wanna know what that dude was smoking so I can avoid it lol.
I fail to see how this is related to the topics FStoppers caters too. Or was this post meant for Cinemablend?
The articles that people complain about are always the ones with the most views.
It's about events with director in film production with film publishing giant and the debacle that ensued. Just because it's not relevant to you doesn't mean it isn't relevant for the website. Fstoppers caters to motion picture creators AND stills image creators. It is relevant here.