Filmmaker Carl Rinsch sentenced for defrauding Netflix of $11M
The director of 47 Ronin received 30 months in prison Monday for diverting streaming funds into stock speculation and luxury cars. Keanu Reeves wrote a letter asking for leniency.
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Carl Rinsch, the British filmmaker known for directing the 2013 samurai film 47 Ronin, has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for defrauding Netflix of $11 million.
Rinsch, 48, was convicted in December 2025 of fraud and money laundering after a trial related to a science-fiction series project called White Horse. Netflix hired him in 2018 to direct the series and paid him $44 million between 2018 and 2019, then provided an additional $11 million in March 2020. The show was never completed.
Rather than complete the project, Rinsch diverted the $11 million into stock speculation and personal purchases. Within two months, he bought five Rolls-Royce vehicles and a Ferrari. His sentence includes three years of probation, confiscation of the $11 million, and a $700 fine.
In his defence, Rinsch cited "enormous pressure" from his professional obligations and an "incredibly conflictual" divorce. Keanu Reeves, his co-star from 47 Ronin, submitted a letter to the judge requesting leniency, describing Rinsch as an "exceptional artist" and his "friend" capable of self-sabotage by overcommitting.
