Netflix director Carl Rinsch, once seen as a rising sci-fi visionary, is now facing the very real prospect of prison after a Manhattan federal jury found him guilty on all seven counts in a high-profile fraud case involving the streaming giant’s money.
The verdict, delivered after less than five hours of deliberations, found Rinsch guilty of fraud, money laundering, and illegal money transmission, charges that could technically carry up to 90 years in prison, though sentencing guidelines make such a term unlikely.
Rinsch showed little emotion as the verdict was read. Jurors appeared somber, reflecting the severity of a case that blended Hollywood ambition with financial misconduct.
A project that spiraled into chaos
The case centered on White Horse, a futuristic sci-fi series Netflix backed with an initial US$44 million budget. Rinsch, a protégé of Ridley Scott and director of the Keanu Reeves film 47 Ronin, shot footage across two continents before burning through the budget by late 2019.
In March 2020, after prolonged negotiations, Netflix sent an additional US$11 million meant to complete episodes of the show. Prosecutors argued Rinsch immediately diverted this money into risky stock and cryptocurrency trades, plus a string of extravagant personal purchases, including:
- A US$439,000 Hästens handcrafted mattress
- Multiple Rolls-Royce luxury cars insured under his own name
- High-end designer goods
- Speculative financial bets that rapidly lost millions
Prosecutors said none of these expenditures were connected to producing White Horse, calling Rinsch’s actions “a deliberate scheme.”
The director’s defense: It was all a misunderstanding
Rinsch took the stand earlier this week, insisting Netflix owed him the money to reimburse expenses from the show’s chaotic fall 2019 period. His legal team framed the matter as a contractual dispute, not a criminal one. They argued the streamer expected “soft pre-production” on a potential second season, not finished episodes, and that communication breakdowns spiraled into federal charges.
His attorney, Benjamin Zeman, called the verdict “a dangerous precedent” for artists navigating creative disputes with major studios.
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Prosecutors dismantled that argument
Assistant US Attorney David Markewitz used a blunt, almost viral-style approach in his closing argument, presenting jurors with “10 Ways You Know Carl Rinsch is Guilty.” He highlighted the absurdity of personal luxury purchases being charged to a TV production.
“In a TV show, a mattress is going to be covered by sheets and a blanket,” he said. “No one watching White Horse from home is going to have any idea what is under those linens.”
Federal prosecutors argued the entire negotiation for the US$11 million top-up was a ruse, a way for Rinsch to keep a failing production alive long enough to extract more money for personal use.
The jury’s conclusion
After requesting transcripts and re-examining key exhibits, the jury reached a unanimous decision: Rinsch was guilty on all counts.
He now awaits sentencing, bringing a brutal end to a career already marred by what industry insiders have long called “director jail”, the informal exile Hollywood imposes on creatives who blow budgets or clash with studios.
This time, the jail may be literal.
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