Netflix has hired longtime Sony movie studio executive turned producer Doug Belgrad as VP of film, reporting to recently appointed film chief Dan Lin. 

Belgrad worked for Sony and its Columbia Pictures unit for 25 years, rising to the level of co-chairman, before embarking on a producer career on the Sony lot in 2016. 

At Sony, he oversaw profitable blockbuster franchises including Spider-Man, Bad Boys and Men in Black, as well as acclaimed prestige dramas including The Social Network, Zero Dark Thirty and Captain Phillips. He also oversaw more than 20 Adam Sandler films at the studio, beginning with Big Daddy, Fifty First Dates, Just Go With It and continuing through Grown Ups 2.

Belgrad's production shingle, 2.0 Entertainment, has backed films including Will Smith and Martin Lawrence franchise title Bad Boys for Life.

He'll join Lin, who took over the Netflix film chief role from Scott Stuber back in January. Lin has embarked on a new film strategy of producing fewer movie titles and appealing to a broader spectrum of viewer tastes. 

"We will be leaning on Doug’s great creative instincts, his eye for talent, and his deep relationships across the filmmaking and talent community," Lin said in a statement.

“From the first time we met about this role, I felt we shared a vision about the future of film at Netflix,” Belgrad added. “As an executive and producer, I’ve been fortunate to work with many of the world’s most talented filmmakers and performers. There is no better place to continue that work than Netflix, whose global reach and resources are unmatched."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Tuesday, June 13, praised the introduction by Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) of a bill that would provide a tax incentive to companies to build out rural broadband, providing a House version of a Senate bill, with both bills backing up a Gigabit Opportunity Zones proposal long-advocated by Pai.

“I'm thrilled to see the effort to establish Gigabit Opportunity Zones continue to gain steam in the House of Representatives, thanks to Congressman Collins' leadership in introducing the GO Act," the chairman said in a statement. "This legislation, which complements legislation introduced last month by Senator Shelley Moore Capito, would create targeted tax incentives and streamline regulations in order to remove some of the barriers that hold back high-speed internet access in too many communities."

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The chairman early on said broadband deployment was going to be a key policy goal under his tenure.

“I'm thankful for Congressman Collins’ leadership on this issue. Having just traveled across five Midwestern and Northern Plains states, I can tell you that much of rural America is on the wrong side of the digital divide. Many urban areas are, too. Encouraging investment in economically disadvantaged communities can close that divide and benefit all Americans.”