Netflix ANZ director of content Que Minh Luu steps down after five years

Netflix’s most expensive commissioned ANZ series to-date, Territory

Que Minh Luu, Netflix’s director of content for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), is stepping down from her coveted role after five years with the streamer.

Que Minh Luu

The sudden departure of the leading commissioning executive comes at a pivotal juncture for the local ANZ screen sectors, as the battle for the introduction of content quotas or levies for streamers remains in stalemate and producers claim that commissioning and production levels are rapidly eroding.

A Netflix spokesperson confirmed to C21 that Minh Luu would be leaving her position as director of content but will continue to work on a number of Netflix titles as a creative consultant for an unspecified period.

In a statement provided to C21, Minh Luu said: “I’m incredibly proud of the past five years, setting up the team and slate and commissioning award-winning and loved shows. It’s been a privilege to help shape what Australian stories on Netflix could be. I’ve loved my time at the company, and while stepping aside from this role, I’m happy to continue working on local content as a creative consultant exclusively for Netflix.”

Minh Luu joined the fledgling Netflix ANZ team in June 2020 as director, local originals (Australia) and within seven months was promoted to the director of content ANZ role. At the time, Minh Luu represented the first creative hire for Netflix in the Australian office, run by Deb Richards, director, production policy, Asia Pacific.

Under her tenure the ANZ content team has grown to six employees and Minh Luu’s development and commissioning slate has included reality television obsdoc Byron Baes with Eureka Productions, the reboot of Heartbreak High with Fremantle, Boy Swallows Universe with Brouhaha Entertainment, Desert King with Ronde and Easy Tiger, and Apple Cider Vinegar with See-Saw Films.

Speaking to C21 in October last year, as Netflix opened its Sydney HQ and launched its most expensive commissioned series to-date, Territory, Minh Luu said that the streamer was attempting to serve a wide range of tastes.

She said the release of the Trent Dalton series adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe was a turning point for Netflix’ s commissioning in Australia. “Not only in that the show went out and reached as many people as it did, but particularly for the sector; they saw where we were going. Because we’re trying to build with the audience as well as with sector and we’re new in the market,” she said.

“We’re a new commissioner. We’re trying to define what Australian content means for us on the Netflix service, and to an Australian audience first, and then out to the world. Once we had those parameters, those goalposts, people began to understand that we were serious. It takes time to build trust. But once that happens, we really sensed a surge in excitement from both audience and creators,” she added.

Speaking on Minh Luu’s departure, Netflix VP content for APAC (ex-India), Minyoung Kim commented: “Que is hugely talented creative, and we are enormously grateful for the work she has done in first launching our ANZ content team, and then building an impressive slate of loved titles like Heartbreak High, Boy Swallows Universe and Apple Cider Vinegar. We wish Que every success for the future and are pleased we’ll be able to continue working with her on our ANZ slate as a creative consultant as we continue with an exciting local storytelling journey.”

Prior to joining Netflix, Minh Luu served at the Australian pubcaster ABC as executive producer, drama, comedy and indigenous for three and half years. In that role she co- created series The Heights and oversaw the development and production of series including Retrograde, Frayed, Harrow, Content and Diary of an Uber Driver.