Netflix Is Officially Losing A $246.5 Million Box Office Hit This December

Published Nov 11, 2026, 7:30 PM EST

Merlyn De Souza is a freelance writer and anime enthusiast based in Goa, India, with a Bachelor's in English Literature. When she isn't writing, she can be found exploring various realms of entertainment, including, but not limited to, K-dramas, novels, and even the occasional manhwa. She also enjoys all things creative, like sewing and makeup.

Just about this time last year, Netflix famously made its $82.7 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. The acquisition eventually fell through, with Paramount instead sealing the deal only a few weeks ago. Netflix may have lost the chance to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery's rich catalog. However, the streaming giant still has plenty to keep it going, with one such successful avenue being its anime offerings.

Albeit in constant competition with Crunchyroll in terms of licensing, between exclusives like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, Delicious in Dungeon, and Wit Studio's The One Piece, Netflix has slowly but surely been strengthening its own IP and licensing game, especially so with live-action adaptations like One Piece and Solo Leveling. That said, with the holidays just around the corner, Netflix is losing one of its biggest, most popular anime movies, and it's a $246.5 million box office hit.

One Piece's Most Successful Movie Is Leaving Netflix in December

According to a recent report by What's on Netflix, One Piece Film: Red will be departing from Netflix UK on December 1, 2026. The film is still available on Netflix and Crunchyroll in the US, though it looks like the movie will have to find a new UK streaming home in 2027. One Piece Film: Red famously earned over £500,000 in its opening week at the UK box office with its total collection coming up to $887,803.

Four whole years later, Film: Red still remains One Piece's highest-grossing movie and one of its most successful releases to date alongside Netflix's live-action series. In fact, it's still even the eighth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time, having moved down a few slots since the release of Miyazaki's The Boy and the Heron and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle. Regardless, One Piece fans in the UK will be sad to see Film: Red go, especially since One Piece's next movie is still a long way away from releasing, much less coming to streaming.

One Piece's Next Box Office Sensation Is Coming in 2027

Surrounded by Miyazaki's timeless masterpieces and the first installment of Demon Slayer's unskippable grand finale, it's still quite impressive that One Piece Film: Red was able to achieve such success at the box office despite being a non-canon movie. Sadly, upcoming releases such as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Part 2 and Solo Leveling: Beyond the System are poised to challenge Film: Red's spot in the list of the top ten highest-grossing Japanese films in 2027, bumping it down a few more spots.

That said, One Piece's upcoming canon movie could simply end up taking its place. One Piece Film: God Valley is scheduled for Summer 2027, and it's a big gamble on Toei Animation's part, adapting one of the most highly anticipated flashbacks of the series in a theatrical release. Film: God Valley might also end up being the first-ever One Piece movie to barely feature the Straw Hats, which could affect its mainstream appeal to casual viewers who might not necessarily be fully caught up.

Even so, if canon movies have worked for Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Demon Slayer, One Piece could most likely pull it off as well. The mainstream appeal of the franchise has also greatly increased with the release of the One Piece live-action series, which means One Piece: Film: God Valley has a very real chance to perform even better than Film: Red, and Netflix will definitely want to get its hands on its licensing rights when it does.