Netflix spent Rs 440 crore on this show, not one episode was finished, director spent all money on Rolls Royce, he is...

As more players arrive on the streaming scene globally, the competition to have the best content has only increased. Different platforms try to outdo each other by securing the best and biggest projects and then spending crores on it. But every now and then, these mega projects do not quite work out the way the OTT streamers want. This is one such story, of a show that had Rs 440 crore invested in it by Netflix, but was never made.

A new report by the New York Times highlights the bizarre story the sci-fi drama Conquest, which was greenlit by Netflix in 2018. The show was meant to be an extravagant drama, pitched as a tentpole for the streaming giant. NYT reports that Netflix spent $55 million (Rs 440 crore) on the show, leaving all the execution to director Carl Rinsch. Many industry insiders were surprised that Netflix entrusted a newbie like Rinsch with such a big project. Prior to Conquest, Rinsch had directed only one film – 47 Ronin. The Keanu Reeves-starrer had a budget of $175 million but bombed at the box office.

However, NYT reports that eventually, the show’s development was plagued by ‘erratic’ behaviour from Rinsch and fell behind schedule within weeks of filming beginning. Rinsch became infamous for his wild conspiracy theories about Covid-19. Then, the director was embroiled in a divorce case, in which he claimed that his estranged wife was trying to get him assassinated. As Conquest began missing production deadlines, crew members complained about Rinsch to Netflix. The streaming giant eventually pulled the plug on the project, having spent millions on it and without ever seeing even one finished episode.

Netflix bought a sci-fi series from director Carl Rinsch in 2018 and spent $55M developing it

Not a single episode has been finished

Instead, the director has reportedly spent $11M of Netflix’s money gambling on risky stocks and buying dogecoin, which he flipped for $27M… pic.twitter.com/j69bokbxU0

— Culture Crave  (@CultureCrave) November 23, 2023

Rinsch reportedly received $11 million (Rs 90 crore) from Netflix as the show’s director and showrunner. NYT reports that the director invested all that in risky investments like cryptocurrencies such as Dogecoin. Using the profits from there, Rinsch bought five Rolls Royce cars, a Ferrari, furniture, and designer clothing. Rinsch is currently in a legal dispute with Netflx, claiming that he is still owed $14 million (Rs 115 crore).

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