NEWS  Curiosities  November 28, 2023  Reading time: 3 Minute(s)

Max (RS editor)

In a cinematic plot twist that even Netflix couldn't script, director Carl Erik Rinsch managed to turn a promising $62 million sci-fi series into a real-life drama filled with Rolls-Royces, crypto bets, and questionable financial decisions. It's safe to say the only thing reaching the stars in this saga was Rinsch's spending, not his sci-fi creation.

Back in 2018, when streaming services were expanding their scripted drama series offerings faster than a sci-fi wormhole, Rinsch pitched his series, sparking a bidding war among Hollywood giants. Netflix, always up for a gamble, snatched the project away from the competition, sealing a $61.2 million deal. Little did they know, they were about to embark on a financial rollercoaster that even Elon Musk wouldn't touch.

Rinsch, known for his illustrious flop "47 Ronin", presented "Conquest" to Netflix, a tale of a genius creating humanlike beings called the Organic Intelligent. Spoiler alert: these creations end up turning on humanity or something—it's not entirely clear, much like Rinsch's financial strategy. With no completed script, ongoing legal battles, and a director notorious for missing deadlines, Netflix was basically playing Russian roulette with dollar bills.

As production unfolded in Budapest, Rinsch's behavior took a turn for the bizarre. Allegedly fueled by an ADHD prescription drug, he went days without sleep, mistreated his team, accused his co-creator of plotting against him, and redecorated sets with more holes than a sci-fi plot loophole.

In a plot twist worthy of a Netflix thriller, Rinsch requested an additional $11 million in March 2020, promptly turning it into a personal investment adventure. From biotech firm bets to shorting the S&P 500, Rinsch played financial Jenga and lost $5.9 million faster than you could say "cut!" Desperate, he shifted $4 million to the cryptoverse, placing his bets on Dogecoin, embracing the mantra of "Wow, such invest".

Between his Dogecoin dalliance and Netflix pulling the plug on his sci-fi spectacle, Rinsch was reportedly spiraling into a cosmic meltdown. His wife claimed he saw intelligent forces in passing airplanes, received indecipherable doodles from him, and even believed he'd mapped the "coronavirus signal" emanating from within the Earth. If only his talents extended to mapping out a budget.

As Netflix bid adieu to "Conquest" in March 2021, Rinsch, allegedly locked in his apartment, bid adieu to his sanity. His Dogecoin jackpot of $27 million was the silver lining in his financial dark cloud. In a poetic sign-off to his crypto exchange helper, he wrote, "Thank you and god bless crypto", proving that sometimes the greatest plot twists are written by the market, not Hollywood.

When confronted about his spending spree during a legal deposition, Rinsch initially claimed the luxury cars, watches, and furniture were props for the show 😅. However, in a Netflix arbitration case, he did a 180, insisting the money was rightfully his, and Netflix owed him a cool $14 million in unpaid invoices 😂😂😂. Clearly, his talent for storytelling extended beyond the screen to the courtroom.

In the end, Netflix might have lost $55 million, but they gained an epic cautionary tale: don't give an unproven director a spaceship-sized budget and expect a masterpiece; sometimes, you end up with a black hole of financial folly.

 ARTICLE IMAGE BY FREEPIK