Carl Rinsch was found guilty last year of scamming Netflix out of $11 million for his unfinished sci-fi series. The director of 47 Ronin is due to be sentenced on June 29, but the defence has submitted letters on his behalf from family, friends, and Keanu Reeves.
Keanu Reeves’ Letter
Reeves starred in 47 Ronin, and also served as a mentor and initial investor on Rinsch’s sci-fi series. In the letter, Reeves urges Judge Jed Rakoff to show “leniency and mercy” when sentencing Rinsch, whom he called an “exceptional artist.“
“In my opinion, Carl can self-sabotage by amplifying the scale, scope and landscape of what had been negotiated, accordingly placing himself and his counterparties at odds,” Reeves wrote. “I do not intend to share this as a diminishment of what he has been found to have done, but offer this solely as perhaps an insight into why.“
Rinsch is facing 8-10 years, but the defence has argued that the sentence should be less as Rinsch is a first-time offender and has likely seen the end of his career due to his actions. It’s expected that Rinsch will be ordered to repay the $11 million to Netflix, with the streaming service seeking an additional $4.4 million in legal fees.
What Rinsch Did
Netflix had hired Rinsch to develop a sci-fi series which involved a scientist who created a humanlike species that rebelled against its creators. Netflix apparently spent $55 million on the series, but Rinsch requested an additional $11 million. That money was quickly transferred into Rinsch’s personal accounts, and the director allegedly went on a spending spree. The series was never finished, and Netflix ultimately cancelled the project, with a spokesperson saying, “After a lot of time and effort, it became clear that Mr. Rinsch was never going to complete the project he agreed to make, and so we wrote the project off.” That could have been the end of it, but Rinsch actually sued Netflix for more than $14 million, which he claimed he was contractually obligated to. The director also apparently stated that he had discovered how to map “the coronavirus signal emanating from within the earth” and could predict lightning strikes.
In a later arbitration hearing, Rinsch testified that his behaviour was the result of his autism spectrum disorder. “Whatever’s going on there, I can tell you it’s not drug-induced,” he said. “It’s not mentally ill. It’s exacerbating a different neurotype that most people might not be able to understand.“
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