Netflix pulled the brakes on Dino Daycare and Boons and Curses, two animated shows for children. The decision came on the heels of Netflix‘s first net subscriber loss in over a decade. Hiring has reportedly slowed at the streamer, and the company is rethinking its spending on original projects.
Dino Daycare and Boons and Curses were canceled before audiences saw any hard work animators completed. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter on April 29 there were “creative impasses” on both projects that led to the decision. Dino Daycare executive producer Chris Nee (Ada Twist, Scientist) confirmedthe show was not moving forward.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Jeff King created Dino Daycare, which was set in a world where dinosaurs never went extinct. It centered on a 6-year-old boy who helps out baby dinosaurs at a nursery. “Hard day for a beautiful show deep into production,” Nee tweeted. “So much love to Jeff King and the incredible Dino Daycare crew. I have no doubt it will find a new home. But right now, hard. If you need the best of preschool writers, DM me.”
Nee has a long history with Netflix. Her first show at the streamer, Ridley Jones, debuted last year. Her next project, Spirit Rangers, will be released in late 2022. Nee also worked with Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions on Ada Twist, Scientist, and We the People. Nee is best known for creating Disney’s Doc McStuffins.
Boons and Curses was created by Jaydeep Hasrajani, who worked on the 2016 Powerpuff Girls reboot. The series was inspired by ancient South Asia, where a young warrior made of butter takes on an evil ruler. Netflix announced the project as one of several coming from Asian American creators. It was expected to debut in 2023.
The decision to stop these two animated projects in their tracks comes as Netflix faces a reckoning. On April 19, the company reported losing 200,000 subscribers during the first quarter of 2021 and is expecting to lose even more in the next. Executives admitted they might need to explore an ad-supported subscription tier and take on fewer pricey projects. Last week, the first reported staff cuts came when 10 full-time employees who worked on Netflix’s Tudum fan site were laid off. Sources told The Hollywood Reporter there was a noticeable hiring slowdown in recent weeks.
Space Force was one of the first shows canceled after the reported subscriber loss. The series had an eye-popping budget, with star Steve Carell reportedly earning $1 million per episode. The show, which reteamed Carell with The Office showrunner Greg Daniels, never lived up to lofty expectations. Changes were made to cut the budget for Season 2, but the tepid critical response meant the show had very little chance of succeeding. Meghan Markle’s animated series Pearl has also been canceled.
