Picture: Illumination Entertainment / Netflix
The animation studio behind Despicable Me, Minions, and more recently, the billion-dollar-plus grossing The Super Mario Bros. Movie are back with Migration, a new animated film
Directed by Benjamin Renner and based on a screenplay by Mike White, the movie has you following a flock of birds going on a vacation like no other.
The all-star voice cast for the new movie includes Isabela Merced (Transformers: The Last Knight), Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games), Awkwafina (The Little Mermaid), Keegan-Michael Key (Key & Peele), Carole Kane (The Princess Bride), Danny DeVito (Always Sunny in Philadelphia), and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick).
Having received generally positive reviews from critics, the movie is set to premiere in theaters over the Christmas holiday, with screens opening from December 22nd, 2023.
When will Netflix Stream Migration in the United States?
After the movie’s theatrical run, Netflix will get a portion of the pay-one window. This comes via a deal that Netflix struck with Universal and its animation divisions in 2021.
Here’s a rough guide on the schedule for Illumination (and DreamWorks) movies so far:
Illumination / DreamWorks Netflix Release Schedule – Picture: What’s on Netflix
What does this look like in practice? Let’s take a look at Super Mario and how that came to Netflix and then apply the same to Migration:
Theatrical release: April 5th, 2023
Peacock release: August 3rd, 2023
Netflix release: December 3rd, 2023
Let’s apply the same to Migration:
Theatrical release: December 22nd, 2023
Predicted Peacock release: April 20th, 2024
Predicted Netflix release: August 18th, 2024
There might be slight variations here, but as you can see, by August 2024, the movie should be streaming on Netflix in the United States.
For more on the upcoming DreamWorks and Illumination movies coming soon to Netflix, check out our guide on all the upcoming titles.
Will other Netflix Regions Stream Migration?
Yes, but it won’t be as fast or under the same conditions as the United States. In fact, every country will have its own individual arrangement with Universal for its movies and thus will differ from country to country. Below, we’ll provide some rough estimates for countries based on prior Illumination movie release schedules.
Also expected to receive the movie next Summer within the first window are Australia, Belgium, and South Korea.
France and India will likely receive the movie towards the tail end of 2024 based on how Minions: The Rise of Gru dropped there.
The United Kingdom and other European territories will likely get the movie sometime in the second window in 2025.
Don’t forget that Netflix has plenty of its own Original animated movies on the horizon. 2024 will see the release of the likes of Orion and the Dark, Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie, Spellbound, Thelma the Unicorn, and Ultraman: Rising, to name but a few.
Are you going to be checking out Migration in theaters, or will you be waiting for it to come to Netflix? Let us know in the comments.