Morbius, a Marvel Sony film, was released in theatres on April 1st, and while it did not perform well at the box office, it has since become an internet meme. The film is one of the first Sony films to be released on Netflix as part of the recently announced first-look deal. Here’s what to expect and when Morbius will be available on Netflix.
Morbius has been a victim of the pandemic and was once again delayed in January 2022, being pushed from January 28th to April 1st, 2022. Ultimately, the film was released, albeit to critical acclaim, and grossed $400 million at the box office. The film, which is part of the Marvel Comics Universe, stars Jared Leto, Matt Smith, and Adria Arjona and is directed by Daniel Espinosa.
When will Morbius become available on Netflix?
Let’s start with the US, where the significant new Sony agreement will be in effect as of January 1, 2022 (we’ll discuss international regions next). Uncharted and Umma’s release dates have given us a good sense of when new theatrical films from Sony will appear on Netflix, even though we’re still ironing out the specifics.
Both films will be available on Netflix, but not on a regular, predetermined schedule. Instead, Sony movies have so far been added to Netflix 120 or 147 days after their initial release, as was the case with Uncharted. That indicates that as of right now, we anticipate the movie to debut sometime between late July and August 2022.
Although it should be noted that it was left off of the whole list of July releases, if it becomes available 120 days after its theatrical debut, it will be available on Netflix on July 30.
It will be available on Netflix on August 26th, 2022 if it arrives 147 days after Uncharted.
We may take it a step further and contrast the premiere date with that of Bad Boys For Life, which eventually airs on Starz under a comparable agreement. On January 17, 2020, that movie had its theatrical release. Then, on August 5, 2020, Starz added it 201 days later. Its current expiration date from Starz, which we have obtained, is February 4th, 2022.
In contrast, if we go back a little bit, the Charlie’s Angels remake was added in June 2020 after opening in November 2019 and Bloodshot was added to Starz on August 8th, 2020, after it debuted in mid-January 2020 (approximately 150 days) (223 days). Morbius will subsequently be held by Netflix for 18 months until it is transferred to Disney properties (Hulu being the most likely destination in this instance).
Because the agreements Sony has with various international Netflix areas aren’t made public, it is currently impossible to predict whether Morbius will be available in other countries on Netflix.
We do know, however, that many Netflix areas do receive Sony films about two years after their theatrical debut. For instance, Men in Black: International, which debuted in June 2019, will be available on Netflix in Canada and the UK in May 2021. Beyond those areas, many Sony films do appear, though not on a predictable schedule. We’ll keep you updated.