Two Big New Universal Movies Jumping to Netflix in May 2026

Picture: Universal Pictures

Netflix’s freshly minted Pay-1 window output deal with Universal Pictures continues to bear fruit. Next month, two major recent theatrical releases will make the jump from Peacock to Netflix US. Here’s a breakdown of them and when they’ll stream. 

Note: This article only applies to Netflix in the United States.

If you aren’t familiar with how the Universal pay-1 window works, here is a quick refresher. Following a movie’s theatrical run, it heads to Peacock for the first four months of its pay-1 window. After that, the film jumps over to Netflix for a 10-month exclusive streaming window, before finally returning to Peacock for the final four months.

This deal was originally due to kick in from 2027, but was brought forward to start in early 2026 (possibly to replace Netflix’s own movie output, which has fallen dramatically). 

Here is what’s coming and when:

The Black Phone 2

Coming to Netflix: May 16th

Horror fans, mark your calendars. The highly anticipated Blumhouse sequel to the 2022 smash hit is finally making its way to Netflix US.

Following its exclusive run on Peacock, this terrifying follow-up continues the chilling lore of The Grabber. Whether you missed it in theaters or have been patiently waiting to watch it with the lights off from the comfort of your couch, you’ll have 10 months to stream it on Netflix before it heads back to Peacock early next year.

The sequel to the 2021 movie, which is currently streaming on Netflix, saw the return of Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, and Madeleine McGraw and received mostly positive reviews across the board. 

Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie

Coming to Netflix: May 23rd

Given that the original Gabby’s Dollhouse animated series is already one of the most successful kids’ properties in Netflix history, it’s only fitting that the feature-length movie is making its way to the platform.

Families who have been waiting for this one to drop on Netflix won’t have to wait much longer. Arriving exactly a week after The Black Phone 2, this big-screen DreamWorks Animation expansion of the beloved show will undoubtedly dominate the Netflix Top 10 Kids chart for weeks to come.

Laila Lockhart Kraner reprises her role from the series, which is currently in its 13th season and renewed through to at least season 15, with Gloria Estefan, Kristen Wiig, Ego Nwodim, Kyle Mooney, and Melissa Villaseñor also amongst the cast.

As mentioned, both The Black Phone 2 and Gabby’s Dollhouse: The Movie will remain on Netflix for exactly 10 months from their respective addition dates. After that, they will depart Netflix and head back to Peacock to finish out their 18-month Pay-1 window.

Looking Ahead… 

We covered the majority of the Universal first-window movies coming to Netflix US throughout 2026 here, and we’ll cover these in more depth as and when it’s appropriate, but here’s an early look ahead at the months coming up:

• Hamnet – June 3rd
• Song Sung Blue – June 13th
• Midwinter Break – July 10th
• Wicked: For Good – July 20th
• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 – August 3rd

Are you looking forward to checking out either of these Universal additions on Netflix next month? Let us know in the comments down below!