TheNetflixanimation department has become the innocent bystander affected by the platform’s recent subscription drop in the last quarter. The department is undergoing profound changes due to decreasing subscriptions, including hefty firings and the cancellations of current and upcoming notable series on the platform.
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The Wrap reported that Phil Rynda, Netflix’s Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation, was fired along with several staff members in the department. Along with the firings, the department is seeingthe cancellation of notable Netflix shows, including Lauren Faust’sToil and Trouble,Roald Dahl’sThe Twits,and the heavily delayed adaptation of Jeff Smith’s comic book seriesBone. The department was once a place for emerging talent and creativity to bloom, but things have shifted to a more data-driven approach, which has prompted the sudden departmental shift.
One producer, whose show failed to receive renewal by the platform, indicated to The Wrap that there was a shift in the platform’s mission. What was once the place of everyone’s favorite show altered to focus on what audiences wanted to see, making the numbers far more critical than creativity. Because of this, cancellations followed, despite the acclaim the series may have garnered. Netflix made it clear that decisions, especially cancellations, were made using data, which placed the viewing numbers up against the cost of producing the series. The streamer reportedly wants to direct its focus squarely on series likeBoss Babybecause of the numbers it has been able to produce.
The approach, however, has been noted for its flaws, which center around the marketing of series in the department. Creators noted that promotional rollouts don’t fully begin until a month before the premiere of a series, which are at times never explicitly announced to the public. The timing and lack of overall awareness provide little room for excitement to build, immersing the series in a sea of content, thus making it challenging to discover. This forces creators to become their own advertising machines, which in the long run isn’t enough toattract the attention Netflix desires. It’s clear that the Kids & Family department lacked a level of needed support, which could have helped most of the cancellations survive a bit longer.
The demising stock plunge is concerning for Netflix because it correlates to a loss of revenue as well. The streamer clearly has a targeted approach moving forward with series likeBoss Baby, projects such asMy Father’s Dragon,and the renewed adult animation series,Big MouthandHuman Resources. Changing a department that the data indicates is not meeting expected viewership is understandable, but the roleNetflixplayed regarding the matter cannot be ignored.
