The Super Mario Bros. movie directors head to Netflix
Netflix has signed an exclusive deal with Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath, the directors of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, to develop animated series and films for the streaming service. The directing duo, who also created and produced the hit animated series Teen Titans Go!, will work exclusively with Netflix and have first-look rights for live-action projects they develop.
The partnership capitalizes on the proven success of both creators’ recent work. Teen Titans Go! seasons 1-5 racked up more than 80 million views on Netflix from 2023 to 2025, while The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a global top-10 hit for 24 weeks with over 240 million views. The deal represents Netflix’s continued investment in securing established creative talent to develop exclusive animated content for the platform.