Director Carl Rinsch, known for “47 Ronin,” was arrested on Tuesday (18th) on charges of defrauding Netflix of $11 million with a series that was never completed. Keanu Reeves, who also starred in “47 Ronin,” was expected to be part of the project.
Carl Rinsch is accused of misappropriating $11 million from Netflix for the series “Conquest,” which was never produced. The director was arrested in California and allegedly used the funds to purchase luxury items and invest in companies.
Rinsch directed the film “47 Ronin,” starring Keanu Reeves, who was also attached to “Conquest,” a project that began development in 2019 after Netflix hired Rinsch in 2018.
The series was greenlit by executive Cindy Holland, who left Netflix in 2020. The director presented six short episodes and a trailer to convince the platform, which then approved an initial budget of $44 million.
“Conquest” was supposed to be filmed in multiple countries, including Kenya, Mexico, Romania, Berlin, Hungary, Uruguay, and Brazil, where the director exceeded the budget. Netflix then released an additional $11 million for Rinsch to continue filming.
However, Netflix claims that he used the money for purposes unrelated to the series. He allegedly transferred the funds to personal accounts to invest in cryptocurrencies and a pharmaceutical company that claimed to have a cure for COVID-19.
The director also reportedly spent $638,000 on mattresses, $295,000 on bedsheets, and $180,000 on kitchen accessories. According to his defense, these items were not intended for personal use.
Netflix is now demanding the return of the misused funds. Rinsch, in turn, claims that the streaming platform still owes him $14 million.
Photos: X @CarlRinsch. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
