An growing number of Netflix Originals have been leaving the platform. An Oscar-winning Netflix Original short film was briefly taken down in November 2022, but it has since been reinstated. The 2D cartoon film If Anything Happens I Love You, a tearjerker and an absolute gut puncher, following mourning parents as they travelled through an emotional abyss while they lamented the death of a kid in the wake of a tragic school shooting. The 12-minute title was written and directed by Will McCormack and Michael Govier, with Laura Dern serving as executive producer.
At the 93rd Academy Awards, which were held in the beginning of 2021, the film took home the prestigious Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. It competed with other animated shorts like Burrow, Yes-People, and Opera. The short film was later released on Netflix in all countries as a Netflix Original title on November 20, 2020, after the streaming service had purchased it the month before. A moving piece of work, the short film “examines the gap left behind after a catastrophe using a beautiful animation and transmitting an essential message,” according to Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut.
Only two years later, the movie left the service, with alerts appearing on the title the previous month. The title actually ends on November 12th, 2022, despite the fact that it says your last day to view on Netflix is November 11th. It did depart on November 12th, but three days later, on November 15th, 2022, the title was added once more.
Why is If Anything Happens I Love You being removed from Netflix?
Netflix Originals come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and many are exclusively licenced to Netflix for a set period of time. It was licenced for two years up front in this case. We’re told it’s been licenced for ten years, which means it’ll be available on Netflix until 2032. Netflix recently acknowledged for the first time that Netflix Originals can even leave the service, with Hemlock Grove included in the official removals list. Of course, we’ve seen 60+ Netflix Originals leave the service, with many more to follow in the coming years.