THE RIP. Ben Affleck as Detective Sergeant J.D. Byrne in The Rip. Cr. Claire Folger/Netflix © 2025.
If you feel like there have been fewer Netflix Original movies popping up on your homepage lately, you aren’t imagining things. According to new data, Netflix’s movie output has plummeted to levels we haven’t seen since 2017 while series output has remained largely consistent.
Thanks to some excellent data compiled by former What’s on Netflix contributor and friend of the site, Frederic, over at the French newsletter Netflix & Chiffres, we have a clear visual representation of just how much the Netflix pipeline has shrunk in the first quarter of 2026.
Let’s dive into the charts and see what’s happening.
The Big Picture: Movie Output is Slashed in Half
Looking at the total number of Netflix Original Films released in the first quarter (Q1) of each year, the narrative is crystal clear: the era of peak volume is over.
- The Peak: In Q1 2022, Netflix released a staggering 50 Original films.
- The Decline: Since then, the numbers have steadily dropped: 39 in Q1 ’23, 35 in Q1 ’24, and 34 in Q1 ’25.
- The 8-Year Low: In Q1 2026, Netflix released just 23 Original films.
You have to go all the way back to Q1 2017 (which saw 13 releases) to find a quieter first quarter for Netflix movies with 2018 being the most comparable to the most recent quarter.
Picture Credit: Netflix and Chiffres
Where Are the Movies Disappearing From?
When we break down these 23 movies by their geographical origin, the data becomes even more revealing. The drop isn’t happening evenly across the globe; it is highly concentrated in Western markets.
- United States & Canada: The domestic pipeline has slowed to a trickle. Only 4 Netflix Original movies originating from the US/Canada were released in Q1 2026. This is the lowest output for the region since 2016, a massive drop from its peak of 17 films in Q1 2018.
- Europe: European output has also been slashed. Q1 2026 saw just 6 European original films, down from 14 in the same period last year.
- Asia-Pacific Holding the Line: The only region that seems relatively stable is the Asia-Pacific market, which delivered 9 films in Q1 2026.
Picture Credit: Netflix and Chiffres
Netflix’s movie output going down is not entirely new, given that it’s been a trend for a few years now, as we revealed in a Business Insider collaboration last year, with the line steadily declining since 2019. We’re certainly not in the one movie a week period anymore.
There are multiple reasons for the contraction in output, including factors beyond Netflix’s control. There’s been a change of leadership at the film division, a refocusing on what kind of projects are picked up and when they release (Netflix has always been much more concentrated for new Netflix movies in the second half of the year), plus other factors like the strikes of 2023, which have a lasting trailing impact (although shouldn’t be as big of a problem now) and just a general pullback.
Many would also argue that Netflix does have more movies thanks to increased licensing with distributors, including, in the US at least, getting lucrative pay-1 window deals with Universal and Sony Pictures, with the former now seeing their live-action slate come to Netflix a year earlier than planned and the latter deal extended beyond 2027 and expanded globally.
TV Shows Aren’t Immune to the Squeeze
While the drop in movies is the most drastic, Netflix’s television output is also experiencing a contraction. Looking at the data for New & Returning Original Series released in Q1, Netflix dropped 49 shows in Q1 2026. While that is still a massive amount of television to consume, it represents a significant drop from the 64 shows released in Q1 2025 and a steep decline from the peak of 71 shows in Q1 2020.
Similar to the film side, the drop in TV shows is largely driven by a reduction in European and North American output. European series dropped from 22 in Q1 ’25 to just 14 in Q1 ’26.
Have you noticed the drop in Netflix Original movies? Do you prefer a smaller, more curated slate, or do you miss the sheer volume of choices? Let us know in the comments down below.
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