The science fiction television series was supposed to be about a brilliant mind who invents a quasi-human species called Organic Intelligents.
In 2018, around the time of the emergence of streaming services, a half-dozen studios and video platforms lined up to sue Carl Erik Rinsch, a little-known filmmaker who had directed only one film: 47 Ronin: The Legend the samurai”. . It was a box office and critical failure, and Rinsch’s disputes with his producers had attracted attention.
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But the demand for new content was great. Amid the production frenzy, the project Rinsch was trying to sell — a science fiction series about artificial humans — became a sought-after asset.
After a close auction, Rinsch and his representatives informally reached an agreement with Amazon for a double-digit amount. But before they had a chance to put this in writing, Netflix intervened. Cindy Holland, the company’s then vice president of original content, offered millions of dollars more and something studios rarely give directors: the right to the final cut.
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Netflix won the contract… but would soon regret it. The company spent more than $55 million on Rinsch’s series but never received a single completed episode.
Shortly after signing the contract, Rinsch’s behavior became erratic, according to members of the show’s cast and crew, as well as text messages and emails reviewed by The New York Times and court documents from a divorce lawsuit filed by his wife. The filmmaker claimed he discovered COVID-19’s secret transmission mechanism and could predict when lightning would strike. He bet a significant portion of Netflix’s money on the stock market and cryptocurrencies. He spent millions of dollars on a fleet of Rolls-Royce cars, designer furniture and clothing.
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Now Rinsch and Netflix are in confidential arbitration initiated by the director, who claims the company breached his contract and owes him at least $14 million in damages. Netflix denied owing Rinsch a dime and described his demands as extortion techniques.
Rinsch refused to answer a detailed list of questions. In a recent Instagram post, he noted that he was not cooperating with the Times because he believed the article would be “inaccurate.”
The company spent more than $55 million on Rinsch’s series but never received a single completed episode.
Netflix spokesman Thomas Cherian said the company provided significant financing and other support for Rinsch’s series “After a lot of time and effort, it became clear that he would never complete the project he had promised, so we gave up.”
The 46-year-old Rinsch is a talented filmmaker in every sense. After studying at Brown University, he joined Ridley Scott’s production company, where he shot commercials and completed an apprenticeship with the renowned director.
Rumors swirled that Rinsch’s debut would be a prequel to the film Alien, the 1979 sci-fi classic directed by Scott. Instead, Universal Studios hired him to direct 47 Ronin: Legend of the Samurai, a big-budget action film starring Keanu Reeves. When the film was released in 2013, it failed at the box office. Universal had to report much of its $175 million budget as a total loss.
Rinsch returned to making commercials, but also began working on his own project with his wife Gabriela Rosés Bentancor: a science fiction television series about a brilliant mind who invents a quasi-human species called Organic Intelligents. Rinsch called the series “White Horse.”
Initially, Rinsch financed the production with his own money and hired a cast and crew composed mostly of European artists, which allowed him to cut costs and circumvent Hollywood union rules. To keep the project going, Rinsch secured an investment from production company 30West. However, when he missed a delivery date, 30West threatened to take over the project. Reeves came to the rescue and invested in the show, becoming a producer alongside Rosés.
With the money Reeves contributed, Rinsch edited six short episodes between four and ten minutes long, from which he put together a pitch for the major streaming platforms, with the intention of producing 13 episodes lasting 120 minutes Relays to produce minutes total.
Rinsch’s sales proposal attracted interest from Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Apple and YouTube. Amazon seemed determined to win the contract. But Netflix stole the project from him at the last minute, believing it had the potential to become as successful a sci-fi franchise as Stranger Things.
Netflix spokesman Thomas Cherian said the company had provided significant funding and other support for Rinsch’s series, but “after much time and effort, it became clear that he would never complete the project he had agreed to, so we gave it up.” .” for lost.
The company agreed to pay $61.2 million in multiple installments for the rights to the series, which it renamed “Conquest,” according to a November 2018 term sheet reviewed by the Times.. The deal contained two unusual clauses: Netflix gave Rinsch the right to the final cut. And he assured Rinsch and Rosés that they would have a “lifelong commitment” to all subsequent seasons and spinoff stories.
Now Rinsch had to do his part. Filming of the remaining episodes of “Conquest” began in São Paulo, then in Montevideo, Uruguay, and Budapest, Hungary.
In São Paulo, the local film industry union sent a representative to the set after receiving a complaint about Rinsch “Mistreating the team” through “yelling,” “vulgar words,” and “excessive rudeness.”says a letter sent by the union to Netflix’s production partner in the region. Netflix learned of the issue and discussed it with Rinsch, according to a person familiar with the matter.
In Budapest, Rinsch spent days without sleep and accused his wife of plotting to kill him, two witnesses to the outbreak say.
Rosés later said in a court filing accompanying her divorce suit that her husband’s behavior began to change even before filming abroad began. He had thrown objects at her several times and twice punched holes in a wall.
Rinsch commented on that He was diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. and that he is taking medication for both illnesses. Rosés and some film technicians were concerned about his use of Vyvanse, an amphetamine commonly prescribed to treat ADHD. Psychiatrists warn that if taken in excess, this drug can cause serious side effects such as mania, delirium and even psychosis.
In March 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic reached American shores, Rinsch asked Netflix to send him more money. He had missed several production deliveries and was torn between two versions of the script: a shorter one that conformed to the original 13-episode plan, and one twice as long that would require approval of a second season.
Rinsch’s sales proposal attracted interest from Amazon, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Apple and YouTube. Amazon seemed determined to win the contract.
Netflix initially refused to approve the application, but relented when he warned them that the entire production could collapse without an immediate injection of capital.
Netflix deposited $11 million into Rinsch’s production company, bringing the total investment to over $55 million.
Of the $11 million, Rinsch transferred $10.5 million to his personal brokerage account and made very risky bets on the stock market using investment opportunities, copies of his bank and brokerage account statements are included in the affidavit. Divorce petition. Lost $5.9 million in just a few weeks.
In September 2020, Netflix reshuffled its management team. Holland and another executive who was involved in Rinsch’s contract have left the company.
On March 18, 2021, Rochelle Gerson, a business affairs executive at Netflix, informed him via email that Netflix had decided to stop funding “Conquest.” He informed him that he was free to sell it to another buyer, but that any other investment company would have to reimburse Netflix for the costs it spent.
Rinsch sent Gerson and a Netflix lawyer angry emails accusing them of breach of contract.
The director had already started using the remaining $11 million that Netflix had deposited with his production company to gamble with cryptocurrencies. Unlike his stock market investments, this actually paid off: when he liquidated his Dogecoin positions in May 2021, he had a balance of almost $27 million.
Rinsch said he has been diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and takes medication for both conditions.
So Rinsch spent a lot of money. He bought five Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and millions of dollars worth of luxury furniture and designer clothing. According to a forensic accountant hired by Rosés, his account balance was $8.7 million.
Rosés’ legal team suspected that the purchases were aimed at concealing Rinsch’s cryptocurrency income.
The man responded to this in a statement The cars and furniture were props for scenes from “Conquest,” and he had paid for them with Netflix production money. But in his arbitration with Netflix, he took a different stance: In confidential court documents reviewed by The Times, he argued that the money was contractually his and that Netflix owed him several other payments totaling more than $14 million -dollars.
Netflix disagrees. In a filing in July, the company argued that the payments were contingent on Rinsch completing several stages of production, something the company said it never did. This month the case was presented at a hearing before an arbitrator. A verdict is expected soon.
(c) The New York Times