- New Universal live-action movies will reportedly debut on Netflix earlier than expected
- The former’s latest film projects weren’t due to land on the streamer until 2027
- A new report indicates they’ll start coming to the platform in late January
Netflix will reportedly become the new streaming home for Universal Pictures’ latest live-action movies earlier than anticipated.
According to fansite What’s on Netflix (WoN), the streaming giant will take over from Prime Video as the at-home destination for Universal films before the end of January 2026.
The reveal comes over a year after Netflix announced it had entered a multi-year deal with Universal Filmed Entertainment Group (UFEG) for the US rights to live-action films from Universal Pictures and subsidiary Focus Features. Per an October 2024 Netflix press release, Netflix confirmed it had renewed its exclusive licensing agreement with UFEG for its animated offerings and, beginning 2027, it would be able to show UFEG’s live-action flicks no later than eight months after their initial theatrical launch.
Now, though, WoN has suggested that partnership will start an entire year earlier than Netflix and Universal first revealed. Per the website’s sources, Megan 2.0 will lead the charge, with the horror sci-fi thriller dropping on the world’s best streaming service on January 26. It’ll be followed by many more of Universal’s 2025 big-screen projects, including Jurassic World: Rebirth on February 28 and Bugonia on April 26.
I’ve reached out to Netflix for comment on WoN’s report, but hadn’t received a response by the time of publication. I’ll update this article if I hear back.
Another streaming victory to add to the Netflix trophy cabinet
At the time of writing, Prime Video holds the US rights to add new movies from UFEG to its back catalog. That’s been the case since the multi-year licensing deal, which began in 2022, was first announced in July 2021 (per an Amazon MGM Studios press blast).
Back then, it was suggested (per the Los Angeles Times) that Amazon and Universal had entered a five-year partnership. However, Netflix is now seemingly set to become the new holder of what’s referred to as a Pay-1B window. That’s the term for a 10-month period whereby Netflix can exclusively show Universal films to its userbase before they re-join Peacock TV, aka the streamer owned by UEFG’s parent company NBCUniversal.
If WoN’s report is accurate, it begs the question how Netflix managed to secure the Pay-1B window rights for Universal live-action movies a year earlier than expected. After all, Amazon’s deal with Universal still has 12 months to run.
With many more highly-anticipated Universal-developed films available to stream at home in the months and years ahead – Wicked: For Good and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie being two such productions – it doesn’t make sense for Amazon to pull the plug on this deal a year earlier than expected. Nevertheless, it seems this mini-streaming war has seen Netflix come out on top again. And, with the streaming titan having a larger subscriber base than Prime Video, Universal films will have more people to entertain than before.
This isn’t the only licensing deal Netflix has struck recently. Last Friday (January 16), Netflix renewed its global streaming rights deal for Sony Pictures movies, which is believed to have cost $7 billion. Expect to see huge films from the latter, such as The Legend of Zelda Movie and multiple Spider-Man flicks, make their way onto the platform in the years to come, then.
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tom.power@futurenet.com (Tom Power)
