Carl Rinsch took more than $11 million from Netflix — and never made a show

• Hollywood director Carl Rinsch is accused of misusing $11 million from Netflix, meant to complete his sci-fi series “White Horse.” Instead, he allegedly spent the funds on luxury cars, furniture, and legal fees, leading to fraud and money laundering charges.
• Production began in 2019 but faced severe budgeting issues and Rinsch’s erratic behavior, resulting in Netflix abandoning the project by mid-2020.
• After failing to deliver the series, Rinsch sued Netflix for $14 million, but the lawsuit failed. He now faces up to 90 years in prison if convicted.

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Hollywood director Carl Rinsch was given $11 million from Netflix to finish his sci-fi series “White Horse.” Instead, prosecutors say he spent the money on luxury cars, high-end furniture, and even legal fees to sue Netflix. Now, he faces up to 90 years in prison.

Lavish spending, missing show

On Tuesday, March 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed a seven-count indictment against Rinsch. He is charged with fraud, money laundering, and engaging in illicit financial transactions.

According to court documents, Rinsch spent millions from Netflix on personal expenses, including:

• $638,000 on luxury mattresses
• $295,000 on bedding and linens
• $3.8 million on furniture
• $2.4 million on six luxury cars, including five Rolls-Royces and a Ferrari
• $1 million on legal fees to sue Netflix

A promising pitch gone wrong

The New York Times first reported in 2023 that Netflix initially invested in “White Horse” in 2018. Rinsch pitched the show with a three-minute trailer and six completed episodes. Court documents reveal that actor Keanu Reeves was an investor in the project and served as a mentor to Rinsch.

But soon after signing his contract, Rinsch’s behavior became erratic. Cast and crew members, as well as legal filings from his divorce case, described unusual conduct.

Production collapses

Filming for “White Horse” was set to take place in multiple locations, including Brazil, Hungary, Kenya, and Los Angeles. Production officially began in Brazil in August 2019.

Almost immediately, the project ran into staffing and budgeting issues. There were also reports of abuse and harassment on set. Just one month into filming, the show was already over budget.

Court documents state, “Just one month into principal photography, the production was so far over budget that Rinsch no longer believed he could shoot the entire First Season with the funding provided for in the Term Sheet.”

By December 2019, production had wrapped on the first season, but the show was far from complete.

$11 million disappears

Netflix had already paid Rinsch $44 million between 2018 and 2019. He then asked for an additional $11 million, claiming he needed the funds to finish the series.

Instead, prosecutors say Rinsch transferred the money into a personal brokerage account. Within two months, he lost more than half of it in bad investments.

Bizarre behavior and lawsuit against Netflix

As the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Los Angeles in March 2020, Netflix repeatedly asked Rinsch for updates on “White Horse.” They requested storyboards, production schedules and budgets.

In response, he sent them handwritten sketches and partial drawings.

By June 2020, Netflix executives met with Rinsch to discuss progress. Instead of discussing the show, he reportedly spent most of the meeting talking about COVID conspiracies, the universe, interconnectivity, gender and higher callings.

After failing to deliver any significant work, Netflix abandoned the project. However, Rinsch then sued Netflix for breach of contract, claiming they owed him another $14 million.

Netflix denied his claims. A spokesperson told The Times in their original report, “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.”

Facing 90 years in prison

Federal authorities arrested Rinsch on Tuesday, March 18. He was later released on a $100,000 bond but will have to appear in a New York court for his indictment, according to The Associated Press. 

He faces charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in monetary transactions with illegally obtained funds. If convicted, he could serve up to 90 years in prison.

His next court date has not yet been set.