Super Mario Movie Directors Sign Netflix Deal

Netflix has landed the duo behind the biggest animated franchise on the planet. Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath — the directors of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — have signed an exclusive creative partnership with the streaming giant, the company announced Tuesday. Under the deal, they’ll develop animated series and films specifically for Netflix, with the streamer also holding first-look rights on any live-action projects the pair pursue.

It’s a significant get for Netflix. Together, the two Super Mario films have grossed more than $2.3 billion at the global box office for Universal and Illumination — and their performance on Netflix has been just as remarkable. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened to $146.3 million domestically in 2023 before finishing its theatrical run at $1.36 billion, spent 24 weeks in the Netflix global top 10 and racked up over 240 million views from December 2023 through the end of 2025. The sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is already at $966.5 million since opening April 1 — and its Netflix run is still ahead of it.

Before Mario, Jelenic and Horvath made their names with Teen Titans Go!, the long-running Cartoon Network series based on DC Comics characters that they created and produced. Nine seasons in (and counting), the show has been a reliable performer on Netflix too — seasons 1 through 5 and the 2018 theatrical spinoff Teen Titans Go! To the Movies combined for more than 80 million views on the platform between 2023 and 2025.

“Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath are visionary creators who remind us why we fell in love with animation,” said John Derderian, Netflix’s Vice President of Animation Series and Kids & Family TV. “After the massive success of The Super Mario Bros. movies and Teen Titans Go! on our service, it’s clear our global audience craves their unique brand of storytelling. We are thrilled to embark on this partnership and can’t wait to see what they dream up next for Netflix members.”

Jelenic and Horvath were equally enthusiastic. “We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to create captivating and immersive series and films over the coming years,” the two said in a joint statement. “We are grateful for the opportunity and look forward to entertaining the world’s largest audience!”

What’s Next — and What’s Still Up in the Air

Both directors came up through Warner Bros. Animation. Jelenic wrote on The Batman and produced ThunderCats before landing on Teen Titans Go! — and he also co-wrote “Peaches,” the Jack Black Bowser song that became an unlikely breakout hit from the first Mario movie. Horvath directed and oversaw animation on Teen Titans Go! and developed Cartoon Network’s Unikitty before the pair made the jump to feature films.

The big question now: does this Netflix deal mean Jelenic and Horvath are done with Mario? Nintendo and Illumination already have a third animated project scheduled for 2028, but no official details have been announced — and it’s not yet clear whether the new Netflix arrangement would prevent the directors from returning to the franchise that made them household names in animation.

What is clear is that Netflix isn’t slowing down on animation. The streamer has had a string of recent wins in the space, including the global hit KPop Demon Hunters and the newly released Swapped, both of which broke records for the platform. Adding Jelenic and Horvath to its creative roster suggests Netflix is serious about owning this space — and betting that whatever these two build next will find the same massive audience that’s already shown up for everything else they’ve made.