Netflix Cuts Film VP Doug Belgrad in Layoffs of 1,000 Staff

Netflix has let go of film vice president Doug Belgrad as part of its largest layoff round to date — roughly 1,000 employees, or about 6% of its workforce. Co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters announced the cuts to staff on Wednesday morning.

Belgrad's departure is the highest-profile casualty in a restructuring that mostly hits other departments. Most of the cuts affect the product, technology, legal and HR teams, the co-CEOs told staff.

What did the executives say?

In a memo that didn't name any of the departing employees, Sarandos and Peters wrote: "Decisions like these are never easy, and we don't take them lightly. Our top priority today is to support those who are leaving Netflix."

They added: "If you are leaving, please know that we will support you throughout this transition and make sure you have as much clarity and context as possible. We also want to say thank you. What you've built, and the care you brought to Netflix, have made a lasting difference and we will always be grateful." The memo noted that the process will vary somewhat by country, with leaders connecting with impacted employees soon.

Who is Doug Belgrad?

Belgrad joined Netflix in May 2024, the first major executive appointment by film chairman Dan Lin after Lin succeeded Scott Stuber. He managed the streamer's slate of originals (films commissioned and produced in-house rather than licensed) and had just launched Ben Affleck's crime thriller "Animals." Before Netflix, Belgrad spent over 25 years at Sony, most recently as president of the Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group.

His exit, 14 months into the job, removes the executive overseeing Netflix's original film output at a moment of deep organizational churn.

What does this change for Netflix's film operation?

The layoff math points to an answer. With most cuts landing in product, tech, legal and HR — not content teams — the restructuring targets infrastructure rather than film production itself. But losing Belgrad means Dan Lin now has a vacancy at the top of his film slate operation, and whoever fills it will inherit a pipeline that just delivered "Animals" into release.

The scale is unprecedented for the company. Netflix's previous major layoffs came in 2022, when about 450 staffers were let go after a rough quarter. Earlier this year, the company cut several dozen members of its global product team. Wednesday's round more than doubles the 2022 figure, and it arrives without the same direct link to a single bad quarter — suggesting a structural rethink rather than a short-term correction.