Dan Lin

For the Chinese badminton player also surnamed Lin, see Lin Dan.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Lin.

Dan Lin
林暐
Lin at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born (1973-04-08) April 8, 1973 (age 51)
Taipei, Taiwan
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BS)
Harvard University (MBA)
Occupation(s)Film and television producer
Years active1999–present

Dan Lin (traditional Chinese: 林暐; simplified Chinese: 林𬀩; pinyin: Lín Wěi; born April 8, 1973) is a Taiwanese-American film and television producer. He is the chairman of Netflix Films and the founder of Rideback (formerly Lin Pictures until 2018), a film and television production company that he formed in 2008. Lin produced Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and the horror film It, which holds the record for highest-grossing horror film.[1] Lin also produced Disney's Aladdin, a live action adaptation of the 1992 animated feature.

Early life and education

Dan Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, the son of an executive in the international food industry. He moved to the United States at the age of five.[2]

In 1994, Lin received his undergraduate degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He then earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 1999 from Harvard Business School.[2]

Career

Between his first and second year at Harvard Business School, Lin undertook a summer internship program with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who was then an executive with Warner Bros. Pictures. In 1999, a day after Lin's graduation, the studio executive offered Lin a junior position at Warners. Lin worked his way up to Senior Vice President of Production and left in 2007 to form his own company. During his eight years at Warners, Lin oversaw the development and production of the Academy Award-winning film The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese. Other films Lin oversaw include 10,000 BC, directed by Roland Emmerich; The Aviator, directed by Scorsese; Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone; TMNT; The Invasion; Unaccompanied Minors; Matchstick Men; Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed; and Torque.

In January 2008 he formed Lin Pictures, based at Warner Bros.[3] He described the transition from development executive to producer as natural: "It's a symbiotic relationship between the studio and the producers, we all work together towards the same goal – make the best movie possible."[4]

Lin currently serves on the board of directors for Rideback Rise, Hawai’i International Film Festival and the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children. He also serves on the Board of the Producers Guild of America Foundation. In September 2008, Lin was honored as one of Variety's "10 Producers to Watch."[5] In April 2015, Lin was named to The Hollywood Reporter's list of 'The 30 Most Powerful Film Producers in Hollywood'[6]

In August 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that he was in talks to take over DC Films. In September 2022, he ended negotiations and parted ways with Warner Bros. Discovery.[7][8] On February 28, 2024, it was announced that Lin would replace Scott Stuber as Netflix's head of film, reporting to Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria.[9]

Filmography

Film

Producer

Executive producer

Development executive

Television

Executive producer

Year Title Notes
2011 Poe TV pilot
2012 The Secret Lives of Wives
2013 To My Future Assistant
2014−15 Forever
2016 Frequency
2018 Murder TV movie
2016−19 Lethal Weapon
2017−20 Unikitty!
2021−24 Walker
2022−23 Walker: Independence
2024 Avatar: The Last Airbender
Interior Chinatown
2025 It: Welcome to Derry

References

  1. ^ Lang, Brent (September 22, 2017). "'It' Becomes Highest Grossing Horror Film of All Time". Variety. Retrieved September 26, 2017.,
  2. ^ a b "Film and Television Production Company". Lin Pictures. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  3. ^ http://www.movieset.com/sherlock-holmes/castandcrew/2m98uq/producer/dan-lin [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Exclusive Interview: Producer Dan Lin on SHERLOCK HOLMES; Plus he Addresses the Brad Pitt Rumors". Collider.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  5. ^ Fleming, Michael (September 3, 2008). "Dan Lin – Entertainment News, 10 Producers to Watch, Media". Variety. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  6. ^ "The 30 Most Powerful Film Producers in Hollywood". The Hollywood Reporter. April 13, 2015. Archived from the original on October 2, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (August 25, 2022). "DC's Kevin Feige Found? Producer Dan Lin in Talks to Take Control of Film, TV for Superhero Arm". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 28, 2022.
  8. ^ Kit, Borys; Couch, Aaron (September 6, 2022). "DC Chief Search Continues as Dan Lin No Longer in Talks for Top Job". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  9. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 28, 2024). "Dan Lin Replacing Scott Stuber As Netflix Film Chief". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
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