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Awards season is right around the corner, and as studios begin locking in their late 2026 release calendars, it looks like a couple of Netflix’s most exciting upcoming projects are going to be sitting this year out.
According to a new report from Variety’s Clayton Davis, a handful of high-profile films from across the industry are shuffling out of the crowded 2026 awards corridor and setting their sights on 2027. For Netflix, that means we’ll be waiting a little longer for two major titles: Fernando Meirelles’ star-studded heist thriller Here Comes the Flood and Greg Kwedar’s romantic drama Saturn Return.
Before you get worried, Variety makes it clear that these delays are not a referendum on the quality of the films. Per their report, these pushes often come down to tight post-production windows and Netflix having an already-bursting slate of prestige films for the end of the year. Netflix has yet to officially scrub these from its 2026 lineup page, although it’s been a bit slow to update it lately.
Of course, these would be the latest delays to the Netflix movie schedule, with Netflix’s Narnia movie from Greta Gerwig already having been pushed back to next Spring.
Here is what we know about the two Netflix films shifting to 2027 and what’s still on the way for 2026.
Here Comes the Flood
Perhaps the biggest Netflix title caught in the shuffle is Here Comes the Flood. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Fernando Meirelles—who Netflix fans will know well from his 2019 original hit The Two Popes—this one has been high on our radar for a while.
Penned by Simon Kinberg, the film is described as an unconventional heist thriller told in a nonlinear format, focusing on a bank guard, a teller, and a master thief locked in a deadly game of cons and double-crosses.
The cast for this is absolutely stacked, led by Denzel Washington and Robert Pattinson. They’re joined by Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Twisters), Danai Gurira (The Walking Dead), and Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible – Fallout).
So, why the delay? The production was shooting in New Jersey until late January, which left a very tight window to get the film edited and polished in time for the fall festivals. With Netflix’s Q4 calendar already packed, the smart money is now on Flood making a splash in 2027 instead.
Saturn Return
Also moving off the 2026 calendar is Saturn Return, the highly anticipated follow-up from Sing Sing director Greg Kwedar. Produced by Plan B, the Chicago-set romance traces a decade in the lives of three college friends, unfolding across two different timelines.
The film boasts a phenomenal trio of leads: recent Emmy nominee Charles Melton (who wowed audiences in Netflix’s Beef anthology), Emmy winner Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), and the always-great Will Poulter (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch).
While initially expected to drop this year, Saturn Return is reportedly pivoting its strategy. Rather than cramming into the crowded winter awards race, the film is now setting its sights on a March 2027 debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin. Launching at SXSW—the same festival that famously catapulted Everything Everywhere All at Once—would allow the movie to dominate the next awards conversation from the very beginning.
What is Still Coming to Netflix in Late 2026?
As Variety notes, Netflix’s fall and winter lineup is heavily anchored by massive titles, including:
- The Untitled Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood Sequel: Yes, David Fincher is directing this highly anticipated follow-up, which is currently scheduled for an IMAX release on November 25th.
- The Mosquito Bowl: A sweeping new war drama from director Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights, Spenser Confidential).
- La Bola Negra: Netflix’s major Cannes acquisition that took home the festival’s Best Director prize.
- Gentle Monster: Another prestige international pickup starring French sensation Léa Seydoux.
That’s in addition to other titles like Ray Gunn, Steps, ‘Tis So Sweet, Unabomber and Animals.
Are you disappointed you’ll have to wait until 2027 for Denzel Washington and Charles Melton’s newest Netflix outings? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
