'47 Ronin' director Carl Rinsch sentenced to 30 months in prison for Netflix fraud

Carl Rinsch, the director behind 47 Ronin, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after being convicted of defrauding Netflix out of $11 million intended for an unfinished sci-fi series.

A federal judge in New York handed down the sentence on June 29, 2026, after Rinsch was found guilty in December 2025 of wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term, but Judge Jed S. Rakoff imposed a shorter sentence after considering evidence relating to the filmmaker's mental health.

The case centred on White Horse, a sci-fi series that Netflix commissioned from Rinsch. Prosecutors said the streaming giant transferred an additional $11 million to complete production, but Rinsch instead diverted the funds into a personal account, using the money on speculative investments and luxury purchases, including Rolls-Royces, designer goods, expensive furniture and high-end mattresses. The series was never completed.

Addressing the court before sentencing, Rinsch apologised for his actions and acknowledged the harm caused.

"This process has forced me to confront things about my health, my judgment and my life," he said. "I failed to recognise the danger of the state I was in."

During the hearing, Rinsch's legal team argued that untreated mental health issues and medication problems contributed to his behaviour. While Judge Rakoff accepted that the director appeared to have experienced a manic state, he ruled that the evidence did not excuse the deliberate misuse of Netflix's money.

The court also ordered Rinsch to pay approximately $11 million in restitution, forfeit the same amount and serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. He is expected to report to prison in September and has indicated that he plans to appeal the conviction.

Actor Keanu Reeves, who worked with Rinsch on 47 Ronin, had previously written to the court asking for "leniency and mercy" during sentencing. Reeves described the filmmaker as a talented artist and a friend, while acknowledging that he had struggled with self-sabotaging behaviour.

The case has become one of Hollywood's most high-profile fraud prosecutions, highlighting the collapse of what was once an ambitious Netflix project that ultimately never reached audiences.