Dan Lin
{{Short description|American film producer (born 1973)}}
{{for|the Chinese badminton player also surnamed Lin|Lin Dan}}
{{family name hatnote|Lin|lang=Chinese}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Dan Lin
| image = Dan Lin by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption = Lin at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
| native_name = 林暐
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1973|4|8}}
| birth_place = Taipei, Taiwan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania (BS)
Harvard University (MBA)
| occupation = Film and television producer
| years_active = 1999–present
| spouse =
}}
Dan Lin ({{zh|t={{linktext|林|暐}}|s=林𬀩|p=Lín Wěi|first=t}}; born April 8, 1973) is a Taiwanese-American film and television producer. He is the chairman of Netflix Films and the founder of Rideback (formerly Lin Pictures until 2018), a film and television production company that he formed in 2008. Lin produced Warner Bros.' Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, The Lego Movie, The Lego Batman Movie, The Lego Ninjago Movie, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, and the horror film It, which holds the record for highest-grossing horror film.{{cite web| url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/it-stephen-king-highest-grossing-horror-film-1202566209/ |title='It' Becomes Highest Grossing Horror Film of All Time |last=Lang |first=Brent |website=Variety |date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=September 26, 2017}}, Lin also produced Disney's Aladdin, a live action adaptation of the 1992 animated feature.
Early life and education
Dan Lin was born in Taipei, Taiwan, the son of an executive in the international food industry. He moved to the United States at the age of five.{{cite web|url=http://www.linpictures.com/about/Dan_Lin.html |title=Film and Television Production Company |publisher=Lin Pictures |access-date=December 12, 2011}}
In 1994, Lin graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He then earned a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in 1999 from Harvard Business School.
Career
Between his first and second year at Harvard Business School, Lin undertook a summer internship program with Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who was then an executive with Warner Bros. Pictures. In 1999, a day after Lin's graduation, the studio executive offered Lin a junior position at Warners. Lin worked his way up to Senior Vice President of Production and left in 2007 to form his own company. During his eight years at Warners, Lin oversaw the development and production of the Academy Award-winning film The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese. Other films Lin oversaw include 10,000 BC, directed by Roland Emmerich; The Aviator, directed by Scorsese; Alexander, directed by Oliver Stone; TMNT; The Invasion; Unaccompanied Minors; Matchstick Men; Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed; and Torque.
In January 2008 he formed Lin Pictures, based at Warner Bros.http://www.movieset.com/sherlock-holmes/castandcrew/2m98uq/producer/dan-lin {{dead link|date=March 2014}} He described the transition from development executive to producer as natural: "It's a symbiotic relationship between the studio and the producers, we all work together towards the same goal – make the best movie possible."{{cite web|url=https://collider.com/exclusive-interview-producer-dan-lin-on-sherlock-holmes-plus-he-addresses-the-brad-pitt-rumors/13172/ |title=Exclusive Interview: Producer Dan Lin on SHERLOCK HOLMES; Plus he Addresses the Brad Pitt Rumors |work=Collider |date=December 23, 2009 |publisher=Collider.com |access-date=December 12, 2011}}
Lin currently serves on the board of directors for Rideback Rise, Hawaiʻi International Film Festival and the Good Shepherd Center for Homeless Women and Children in Los Angeles.{{Cite web |last=GscHome |title=Advisory Board |url=https://gschomeless.org/advisory-board/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=GSC |language=en-US}} He also serves on the Board of the Producers Guild of America Foundation. In September 2008, Lin was honored as one of Variety's "10 Producers to Watch."{{cite web|last=Fleming |first=Michael |url=https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991549 |title=Dan Lin – Entertainment News, 10 Producers to Watch, Media |website=Variety |date=September 3, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2011}} In April 2015, Lin was named to The Hollywood Reporter{{'}}s list of 'The 30 Most Powerful Film Producers in Hollywood'{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/person/dan-lin-0 |title=The 30 Most Powerful Film Producers in Hollywood |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=April 13, 2015 |access-date=October 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002165450/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/person/dan-lin-0 |archive-date=October 2, 2017 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
In August 2022, The Hollywood Reporter reported that he was in talks to take over DC Films. In September 2022, he ended negotiations and parted ways with Warner Bros. Discovery.{{cite web|last=Kit |first=Borys |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dc-film-tv-boss-dan-lin-1235204760/ |title=DC's Kevin Feige Found? Producer Dan Lin in Talks to Take Control of Film, TV for Superhero Arm |website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=August 25, 2022 |access-date=August 28, 2022}}{{Cite web|last1=Kit|last2=Couch|first1=Borys|first2=Aaron|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/dc-film-tv-talks-break-down-dan-lin-1235212975/|date=September 6, 2022|title=DC Chief Search Continues as Dan Lin No Longer in Talks for Top Job|website=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=February 28, 2024}} On February 28, 2024, it was announced that Lin would replace Scott Stuber as Netflix's head of film, reporting to Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria.{{Cite web|date=February 28, 2024|last1=D'Alessandro|last2=Fleming|first1=Anthony|first2=Mike Jr.|url=https://deadline.com/2024/02/net-flix-dan-lin-scott-stuber-replacement-1235840855/|title=Dan Lin Replacing Scott Stuber As Netflix Film Chief|website=Deadline Hollywood|access-date=February 28, 2024}}
Filmography
=Film=
Producer
{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
- The Invention of Lying (2009)
- The Box (2009)
- Sherlock Holmes (2009)
- Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
- Gangster Squad (2013)
- The Lego Movie (2014)
- The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
- Death Note (2017)
- It (2017)
- The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017)
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
- Aladdin (2019)
- It Chapter Two (2019)
- The Two Popes (2019)
- Easter Sunday (2022)
- Haunted Mansion (2023)
- Lilo & Stitch (2025)
- Untitled live-action/animated Lego film (TBA)
{{colend}}
Executive producer
{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
- Shorts (2009)
- Terminator Salvation (2009)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
- Dear David (2023)
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
{{colend}}
Development executive
{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
- Torque (2004)
- The Departed (2006) (Uncredited)
- Unaccompanied Minors (2006)
{{colend}}
=Television=
Executive producer
class="wikitable"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes | ||
2011 | Poe | rowspan=3| TV pilot |
2012 | The Secret Lives of Wives | |
2013 | To My Future Assistant | |
2014−15 | Forever | |
2016 | Frequency | |
2018 | Murder | TV movie |
2016−19 | Lethal Weapon | |
2017−20 | Unikitty! | |
2021−24 | Walker | |
2022−23 | Walker: Independence | |
rowspan="2" | 2024 | Avatar: The Last Airbender | |
Interior Chinatown | ||
2025 | It: Welcome to Derry |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Dan Lin}}
- {{IMDb name|1469853|Dan Lin}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lin, Dan}}
Category:Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Category:Businesspeople from Taipei
Category:Harvard Business School alumni
Category:Wharton School alumni
Category:Film producers from California
Category:Taiwanese expatriates in Hong Kong
Category:Taiwanese emigrants to the United States