Tendo Nagenda

Tendo Nagenda is an American film producer and former studio executive, widely recognized as one of the most high-profile Black executives in the entertainment industry. With a track record of developing major studio and streaming hits, he has played a pivotal role in bringing culturally significant and commercially successful films to global audiences.

Nagenda most recently served as Vice President of Original Films at Netflix, where he helped expand the company’s global film slate and championed bold, auteur-driven projects. During his tenure, he developed and oversaw critically acclaimed and high-profile titles such as Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, Spenser Confidential, The Old Guard, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Hillbilly Elegy, The Harder They Fall, The Gray Man, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. His time at Netflix was marked by an emphasis on genre diversity and cinematic ambition, helping to shape the streamer’s reputation as a home for original, director-led features.

Before joining Netflix, Nagenda held the role of Vice President of Production at Walt Disney Studios, where he was instrumental in shepherding a range of high-profile titles. His credits include Queen of Katwe, directed by Mira Nair; A Wrinkle in Time, directed by Ava DuVernay; Dumbo, directed by Tim Burton; and Mulan, directed by Niki Caro. His work at Disney reflected a commitment to inclusive storytelling and global appeal, aligning with the studio’s efforts to evolve its legacy content for modern audiences.