Netflix Was Involved in "Arco"—but Where Is the Stream?

April 16, 2026, 8:51 am | Read time: 4 minutes

Just yesterday, April 14, 2026, I went to the movies again. This time, the French animated film “Arco” was on the program, which has been well-received by critics and was even nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature this year. But during the typically long list of production company credits for European projects, I was taken aback: Around the fifth or sixth credit, the Netflix logo suddenly appeared. A Netflix production quietly running in theaters? We inquired why “Arco” isn’t already streaming on Netflix.

“Arco” Is Not a Typical Netflix Film

Netflix was involved in “Arco,” but only to a certain extent. This means it is not a genuine in-house production. The fact that the streamer is mentioned so late in the credits further suggests that Netflix was likely not creatively involved. Instead, they probably invested additional money to ensure the film could be made.

It often happens that Netflix acquires external productions and still promotes them heavily. Consider the series hit “House of Cards,” which is considered one of the service’s earliest major hits but was not directly produced by Netflix. In terms of cinema, “Arco” is also not a typical Netflix film.

Normally, Netflix only releases its own films in theaters if it wants to qualify a prestigious title for awards like the Oscars, for which theatrical releases are mandatory. Or there are exceptions due to significant hype, such as with “KPop Demon Hunters” or “Stranger Things” Season 5. So why is “Arco” in theaters after the 2026 Oscars?

The Answer Is France

TECHBOOK inquired with Netflix about this. The company emphasized that it is an acquisition solely for the French market. It should be noted that Netflix committed to more investments in France a few years ago. The reason for this is the media chronology signed in January 2022 in the neighboring country of Germany.

This strengthens the local cinema culture and stipulates, among other things, that films can only be released on Netflix 15 months after their theatrical release. As reported by “Programmkino.de” at the time, this time window is a slight advantage for Netflix due to the investment commitment. At that time, competitors like Disney+ or Amazon Prime Video were not included, where films could only appear after 17 months.

We were also informed that Netflix has acquired and co-financed dozens of films in France in advance over the past few years. According to the report, Netflix produces ten French films annually with a budget of three to four million euros.

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When Will “Arco” Come to Netflix?

In France, “Arco” was released in theaters only in October 2025. This means it will appear on Netflix there at the earliest in January 2027. Upon inquiry, only the French branch of the streaming service was mentioned. It is therefore unclear when the film will also be available on Netflix in Germany.

Currently, Wild Bunch Germany holds the distribution rights to “Arco” here, and it is still running in theaters (as of April 2026). It is fundamentally possible that the film will one day find its way to German Netflix as a licensed film.

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It is also conceivable that this could happen even before the French streaming start, because such a media chronology does not yet exist here, but is at least being considered. Accordingly, Netflix and Wild Bunch could negotiate their own licensing deal completely independently of this.

“Arco” Is Truly Worth Seeing

But whether after 15 months or sooner or later, the wait is worth it for fans of sophisticated animation. On Rotten Tomatoes, for example, 93 percent of all professional reviews are positive, and 89 percent of users also find the film worth seeing—both exceptionally good results. The film impresses with its beautiful, hand-drawn visuals, magnificent music, and an exciting story about a time-traveling boy who one day finds himself stranded in the year 2075 and befriends a girl there.

“Arco” is a current testament to the fact that family-friendly animation and narrative, as well as artistic ambition, do not have to be mutually exclusive. It doesn’t always have to end in flat chaos, as with the “Super Mario Galaxy Film,” which shamelessly rakes in much more money.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.