The Super Mario Bros. Movie gets disappointing Netflix release update

We’re almost onto a new month (what is time anymore?!) and that means streaming services are gearing up to release and remove a long list of movies and shows. October, of course, is the spooky season, and many horror fans like myself are really looking forward to watching scary movies in the coming weeks, both new and old. But if you’re not big on Halloween favorites or have little ones at home who are into kid-friendly flicks, you’re probably wondering what family movies are heading to Netflix in October.

And while we have some children’s titles currently on Netflix to recommend to you, one major favorite this year that is expected to make its way to the streamer soon is, unfortunately, not one of them. If you were hoping to stream The Super Mario Bros. Movie on Netflix in October, we come bearing bad news. We’ve checked the list of October new releases for the streamer and the Universal Pictures movie is noticeably absent.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released in theaters in April 2023 and became a box office hit, attracting lifelong fans of the Mario video games and new fans alike. Of course, there are other ways to watch the movie right now that’s not on Netflix. The animated feature is currently streaming on Peacock, and you can rent it for $5.99 on Amazon Prime Video.

If you’re waiting for The Super Mario Bros. Movie to come to Netflix, it’s not all bad news. The movie is for sure being added to the platform, just not in October. The streamer has an 18-month deal with Universal’s animated movies in the United States, and in the case of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, it will leave Peacock for Netflix after the first four months. This means the movie should be coming to Netflix in December, and it will call the platform its streaming home for 10 months. After that, it’ll head back to Peacock for the remaining four months out of the 18. Yes, it’s totally confusing, I agree.

Kid-friendly movies to watch on Netflix

So if you’re in need of kid-friendly movies to watch with the family this weekend, we’re here to help. It may not be The Super Mario Bros. Movie, but these titles are extremely fun:

• Despicable Me (2010):

"“Supervillain Gru, a man who delights in all things wicked, hatches a plan to steal the moon. Surrounded by an army of little yellow minions and his impenetrable arsenal of weapons and war machines, Gru prepares to vanquish all who stand in his way. However, nothing in his calculations and groundwork has prepared him for his greatest challenge: three adorable orphan girls who want to make him their dad.”"

• Trolls (2016):

"“After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (Anna Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the overly-cautious, curmudgeonly Branch (Justin Timberlake) set off on a journey to rescue her friends. Their mission is full of adventure and mishaps, as this mismatched duo try to tolerate each other long enough to get the job done.”"

• Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015):

"“Now that Dracula (Adam Sandler) has opened the Hotel Transylvania’s doors to humans, things are changing for the better; however, Drac is secretly worried that his half-human grandson, Dennis, isn’t showing his vampire side. So, while Mavis and Johnny are away, Drac enlists his friends to help him put the boy through a “monster-in-training” boot camp. But things really get batty when Drac’s cantankerous, old-school dad (Mel Brooks) pays an unexpected visit.”"

• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022):

"“When the Primm family (Constance Wu, Scoot McNairy, Winslow Fegley) moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle – a singing crocodile (Shawn Mendes) who loves baths, caviar and great music-living in the attic of his new home. The two become fast friends, but when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps (Brett Gelman), the Primms must band together with Lyle’s charismatic owner, Hector P. Valenti (Javier Bardem), to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places and there’s nothing wrong with a big singing crocodile with an even bigger personality.”"

In addition, here are the new kid-friendly Netflix Original titles being added in October:

• LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising season 1 part 2: Coming Oct. 12
• Oggy Oggy season 3: Coming Oct. 16
• Princess Power season 2: Coming Oct. 23

We’ll be sure to let our readers know as soon as we hear the Netflix release date for The Super Mario Bros. Movie!