Movie director sentenced to prison over unfinished Netflix show
FILE-Director Carl Erik Rinsch attends the New Directors' Showcase In Los Angeles presented by Team One, Saatchi LA on September 23, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by John Sciulli/Getty Images for Team One, Saatchi LA)
Carl Rinsch was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million for a sci-fi series he never completed.
Rinsch, a writer-director who was sentenced Monday, is well-known for the 2013 samurai fantasy movie "47 Ronin" starring Keanu Reeves, who showed his support for the director in a letter to the court to show Rinsch leniency ahead of his sentencing.
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Carl Rinsch fraud case
Dig deeper:
Carl Rinsch was convicted in December 2025 for federal wire fraud and other charges. Citing prosecutors and trial testimony, The Associated Press reported that Rinsch told Netflix he needed $11 million to complete a show called "White Horse" but transferred the money into a personal account and spent staggering sums of money on luxury cars, watches, clothes, and household goods.
Among the other lavish purchases, Rinsch bought five Rolls-Royces, a red Ferrari, $652,000 worth of watches and clothes, expensive mattresses, and $295,000 on luxury bedding and linens. Prosecutors also said he used some of the money to pay off about $1.8 million in credit card bills.
The AP noted that prosecutors stated that Netflix initially paid Rinsch about $44 million for "White Horse" in 2018 and 2019, then gave him another $11 million in 2020 after Rinsch claimed he needed additional money to wrap up production of the film. Prosecutors also argued that Rinsch should serve five years in prison.
Who is Carl Rinsch?
The backstory:
Carl Rinsch is from the Los Angeles area and started making short films as a teen. Rinsch later directed commercials, then received attention for the movie "47 Ronin," which stars actor Keanu Reeves, whose character leads a group of samurai seeking to avenge their master's death.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which references information from the prosecutors in the case. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.