MOVIE NEWS – Streaming giant Netflix finds itself at the center of another scandal. Confusion and financial abuses surrounding the project of Conquest, a highly promising sci-fi series launched in 2018, have been revealed. Due to showrunner Carl Rinsch’s extravagant spending and bizarre behavior, the multi-million dollar project was lost.”

In 2018, Netflix embarked on the sci-fi series project Conquest with high hopes, the basic idea of which was the global deployment of human beings equipped with artificial intelligence, so-called O.I. The streaming service acquired the rights for $61.2 million after a bidding war with Amazon, hoping the promising project will mark a new milestone in the sci-fi genre. Carl Rinsch, the head of the project, unlike his previous works, this time received enormous responsibility from Netflix, enjoying complete creative and financial freedom.

Nevertheless, the project soon ran aground. Rinsch’s behavior became increasingly worrisome, he voiced numerous conspiracy theories, and claimed that his wife wanted to kill him. Colleagues and crew members alike complained about the director’s attitude, and Netflix management also recognized that the project was not progressing well. Finally, in 2021, the company decided to discontinue the series.

However, the shocking turn of events lay in Rinsch’s financial maneuvers. The director allegedly withdrew $10.5 million from the project’s budget, from which he first lost a significant amount, and then increased his wealth by investing in cryptocurrencies. With the earned income, he bought luxury cars, including several Rolls Royces. However, the scandal did not end there: Rinsch is currently suing Netflix for $14 million, accusing the company of breaching their contract.

This story is yet another example of how things can go horribly wrong in the film industry when financial and creative control is too much in one hand. The case of Conquest highlights the need for streaming giants to pay more attention to project management and financial control to avoid such damaging and costly failures in the future.

Source: ScreenRant