Picture Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
Netflix has some major movies leaving its library at the end of August 2026, including entire film franchises and fan favorites. Consider this your final call before they leave.
While Netflix is adding some big licensed movies to its library throughout September 2026 — including Smile 2 (2024), Straight Outta Compton (2015), and T2 Transporting (2016) — the streamer is also losing some staple movies (and entire movie franchises) from its library. Netflix has 79 popular licensed movies departing its library on September 1, 2026.
You can check out here for the complete list of what’s leaving Netflix throughout September 2026. In this list, we take a look at the most notable movie departures on September 1st.
The Rocky Franchise
Back in December 2025, Netflix struck a lucrative deal with MGM. The deal saw the entire James Bond franchise make its way to Netflix. So too did the Rocky and Creed movies join Netflix’s library on June 1, 2026. However, Sylvester Stallone’s legendary boxing franchise has only endured a short-lived licensing window on Netflix, and every movie is moving on this September.
The Rocky and Creed movies leaving Netflix on September 1 are: Creed (2015), Creed II (2018), Creed III (2023), Rocky (1976), Rocky II (1979), Rocky III (1982), Rocky IV (1985), Rocky V (1990), and the requisite Rocky Balboa (2006).
The Green Knight (2021)
Over the years, there’s been myriad movies about Arthurian legend, but none capture the same sense of mysticism and atmosphere as David Lowery’s The Green Knight (2021). The epic retells the legendary story of King Arthur’s young nephew Sir Gawain (played by Dev Patel in one of his all-time standout performances), who accepts the challenge of a mysterious, enigmatic ‘Greek Knight’ and embarks on a long adventure, encountering everything from ghosts to giants.
The Green Knight is not a fast-paced or action-packed movie, but a quiet, brooding, unbelievably atmospheric journey of a young man traversing England’s mystical landscapes. As well as Dev Patel, the movie also boasts an all-star supporting cast, including Alicia Vikander, Megan Tiernan, Barry Keoghan, Joel Edgerton, and Ralph Ineson.
Zombieland (2009) & Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Zombie movies are among the most ubiquitous in Hollywood. Some are good, some are poor, and then there’s Zombieland (2009), a high-octane, witty adventure that takes the undead genre to new, hilarious heights. The zombie-comedy follows a group of unconventional outsiders who find each other in the middle of a zombie apocalypse: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). Together they traverse the zombie-ridden world, relying on each other for survival, despite constantly being at odds with each other.
Zombieland very quickly became a cult classic, and a decade after it debuted, the franchise returned for Zombieland: Double Tap. Both movies jump in and out of the streamer’s library, and they soon leave Netflix in September following a 6-month window.
Schindler’s List (1993)
Directed by Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all-time. Based on an incredible true story, the movie takes place during the Second World War and follows German industrialist Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a man who was credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by way of employing them in ammunitions factories.
The movie was added to Netflix’s library earlier this year, adding further Oscar-winning success to its already stellar slate of original war movies (look no further than All Quiet on the Western Front). Sadly it departs the library again in September,
Today, over 30 years after it released, Schindler’s List retains a near-perfect 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Bee Movie (2007)
An undeniable classic, Jerry Seinfeld’s family animated movie, Bee Movie (2007) has been in and out of Netflix’s library for over a decade. It was last added to Netflix’s library in June for just a 3-month window before leaving again on September 1. As it happens, the movie has a funny history on Netflix, with one UK subscriber famously streaming it 357 times back in 2017.
For those somehow unacquainted, Bee Movie follows Barry B Benson (Seinfeld), a bee who flees his hive on a mission to sue humanity for exploiting bees and stealing their honey.
Scooby-Doo (2002) & Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004)
Picture; Warner Bros. Pictures
While they perhaps aren’t the most coveted and celebrated movies leaving Netflix in September 2026, it’s interesting timing, seeing the departure of the cult classic live-action Scooby-doo movies. Of course, Netflix is going all-in on Scooby-doo at the moment, developing its own 8-episode live-action Scooby-Doo series, starring Mckenna Grace as Daphne, Tanner Hagen as Shaggy, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma, and Maxwell Jenkins as Fred.
You’d think Netflix would renew the licensing deal to keep the original live-action Scooby-Doo films in its library to keep the hype train going, but not quite. Even so, the classic series Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated continues to stream on Netflix.
21 Bridges (2019)
Picture: STXfilms
Starring the late, great Chadwick Boseman, action-packed crime thriller 21 Bridges (2019) is breathless from beginning to end. The former Black Panther star plays intense NYPD detective Andre Davis, who chases to murderers in a case that sparks a citywide manhunt and requires him to take drastic action: closing Manhattan’s 21 bridges to prevent the culprits from escaping the city.
The movie had a slightly underwhelming box office performance, grossing $49.9 million worldwide against a production budget of $33 million. Since then, however, it’s found steady success on streaming, with Netflix long being a top destination to find it.
Passengers (2016)
Picture Credit: Sony Pictures Releasing
The first thing that stands out about Passengers (2016) is the unbelievably stacked cast. The sci-fi movie is headlined by Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen, and Laurence Fishburne. The movie was a big box office success too, grossing over $300 million worldwide against a $110–150 million budget. The film follows passengers aboard the spaceship Avalon, en route for a colony 120-years from Earth — however, while they were meant to travel in hibernation, two of the passengers are woken several decades too early. And the spaceship is headed towards disaster.
The film has proven a streaming success on Netflix. In fact, for a week in June 2026, it ranked 6th in Netflix’s most popular movies — a strong feat for a decade-old sci-fi movie.
Which of these movies will you be watching before they leave Netflix? Tell us in the comments below!
