Scott Stuber, the architect behind Netflix’s emergence as a dominant movie studio, will depart the streaming giant in March to launch his own company. Stuber, currently serving as global film chairman, will continue in this role until at least the Academy Awards in March to conclude ongoing projects before embarking on producing films and TV shows independently. He has secured financing for his new venture.
Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer at Netflix, will oversee the film team during the transition while the company searches for Stuber’s replacement. Stuber, who joined Netflix in 2017 when the platform was just starting to produce original movies, played a pivotal role in expanding the output to include numerous films in various languages. Under his leadership, Netflix acquired, developed, or produced hit movies such as “Bird Box,” “Red Notice,” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
While continuing to produce projects for Netflix in his new role, Stuber expressed gratitude to Netflix chairman Reed Hastings and co-CEO Ted Sarandos for the opportunity to create a new home for original movies. Netflix, under Stuber’s tenure, produced more movies in some years than several major Hollywood studios combined, though the constant influx of titles received mixed reactions within the industry.
Stuber, a former executive at Universal Pictures and producer of hits like “Ted,” at times clashed with Netflix leadership over distribution strategies, advocating for theatrical releases for major titles and increased marketing spending. His departure marks an effort to build an independent studio, aligning with other senior media executives like Peter Chernin.
Netflix, under Bajaria’s leadership, will search for a new studio chief who aligns with the platform’s approach to film distribution. While traditional studios often release films in theaters before online streaming, Netflix has found success in its unique distribution model, with its original movies consistently dominating streaming charts.