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Since the subscribers' fiasco, Netflix has found itself in more trouble. This time, the backlash could be severe, to say the least.
According to The Wrap, Phil Rynda, Netflix’s Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation, was let go from the company. This unprecedented move was followed by an even harsher one, in which the animation department was shut down.
What's an even greater cause of concern is that popular animated series are not being renewed and "high-profile" projects (case in point: Jeff Smith's Bone) are being "unceremoniously canceled."
Naturally, this has led to an outburst among fans who feel passionately about the art of animation and beyond.
The downfall of Netflix' Animation department
The firing of Phil Rynda was most probably an unescapable end to an extremely disarrayed period of time for Netflix Animation, specifically for its Kids and Family section.
This particular section of Netflix Animation witnessed a blast of creativity and talent to give way to mixed messages, corporate pressure, and intense denunciations of “staged data.”
Netflix Animation, particularly when it comes to the Kids and Family department, was considered a golden utopia for a long period of time.
Critically acclaimed and highly popular creators and exceptional young talents were persuaded by the glittery promises of robust production budgets and unconventional creative freedom, highly supported by the promotional and financial strength of the empire of Netflix.
Animation royalty like Elizabeth Ito, Craig McCracken, and Jorge Gutierrez rushed to begin working on their dream projects, while the worldwide popular streaming platform also backed young artists and cultivated productive licensing concurrences, mostly with DreamWorks Animation, including Trollhunters by Guillermo del Toro and its eclectic spinoffs such as Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts and many others.
By the looks of the current scenario in Netflix's animation section, it is quite evident that the focus of Netflix has shifted prominently.
According to The Wrap, a producer claimed that Phil Rynda, who served several significant creative roles on remarkable animated series such as Adventure Time and Gravity Falls, told the creators of Netflix:
"We want to be the home of everybody’s favorite show."
When that particular producer left a few years later, a “new thesis statement” had arrived as suggested by Netflix’s Co-CEO, Reed Hastings, which said:
"We want to make what our audience wants to see."
When it comes to mission statements, these two ideas are widely different.
Proving this “new thesis statement” true, many heavyweight animated projects in the Kids and Family section have been straightaway canceled - including Bone, as confirmed by the streaming platform itself.
The list also includes an adaptation of The Twits by Roald Dahl, and Toil and Trouble by Lauren Faust.
