Netflix Film’s Niija Kuykendall to Exit in December

As a seasoned movie critic with decades of experience under my belt, I find myself reflecting on the departure of Netflix film executive Niija Kuykendall. With a career spanning over three esteemed studios – Viacom, Beacon Pictures, 20th Century Fox, and most recently, Warner Bros. – her tenure at Netflix was brief but impactful.


Netflix film executive Niija Kuykendall is leaving the streamer after three years.

I became the Vice President of Film with Netflix in October 2021, managing a fresh department dedicated to mid-sized holiday, faith-based, and young adult movies. Unfortunately, I’m parting ways with Netflix at the end of this year – they didn’t provide a specific reason for my departure.

Netflix’s Film Vice President Doug Belgrad expressed in a statement that Niija’s innovative collaborations with esteemed filmmakers such as Tyler Perry, Denzel and Malcolm Washington, David Yates, among others, have significantly shaped our movie catalog. I would like to express my gratitude for her numerous contributions, including the films ‘The Piano Lesson,’ ‘The Deliverance,’ ‘The Six Triple Eight,’ ‘Pain Hustlers’ and ‘Mea Culpa.’

Kuykendall was brought on board by Scott Stuber, who used to head Netflix’s movie division before being succeeded by Dan Lin this year. In his first month at the helm, Lin made changes such as reducing staff by approximately 15 people and restructuring the film department based on genres instead of budget allocations. According to CEO Ted Sarandos, Lin’s mission will be to prioritize both quality and quantity in his work.

Sarandos stated in April that while there’s no intention to produce fewer movies, there’s a constant desire to create even better ones. Despite the fact that we’ve already produced and continue to produce excellent films, our aim is always to improve them further.

Before joining Netflix, Kuykendall had a 13-year stint as an executive vice president of production at Warner Bros. Her work includes movies such as “A Star Is Born,” “It,” “Magic Mike,” and “Judas and the Black Messiah.” Her professional journey started at Viacom, followed by stops at Beacon Pictures and 20th Century Fox.

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2024-11-14 01:17