Netflix Signs Exclusive Deal with 'Super Mario Bros' and 'Teen Titans Go' Creators for New Projects
Animation is currently flexing its absolute dominance at both the global box office and on home television screens, and Netflix just made a massive power move to ensure it stays at the top of the food chain.
The streaming giant has officially signed a major, exclusive creative partnership with Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath - the marquee powerhouse duo behind the billion-dollar Super Mario Bros. cinematic franchise and the long-running Cartoon Network phenomenon Teen Titans Go!.
The exclusive "overall deal" (reported by The Hollywood Reporter) will see Jelenic and Horvath develop, produce, and direct brand-new animated feature films and episodic series natively for the Netflix platform. In a surprising twist, the contract also features a live-action clause, giving Netflix the coveted "first look" rights at any live-action projects the duo decides to tackle down the line.
The Billion-Dollar Track Record
To say this is a massive win for Netflix would be a severe understatement. Jelenic and Horvath are widely considered Hollywood royalty in the modern animation landscape.
The duo first captured mass industry attention by steering the incredibly fast-paced, irreverent, and inventive meta-humor of Teen Titans Go!. The DC Comics-inspired show has run for nine wildly successful seasons since 2013, spawning the critically acclaimed 2018 theatrical spinoff Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.
Netflix has signed an overall deal with ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie' & ‘Teen Titans Go!' creators Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic.
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) May 19, 2026
The duo will develop animated films and series exclusively for the streamer, alongside live-action projects under a first-look deal. pic.twitter.com/5Bl80VBJxO
However, it was their leap into the world of Nintendo that turned them into an undeniable powerhouse. The duo directed 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie for Universal and Illumination, which shattered box office expectations by launching to a $146.3 million domestic opening weekend before cementing itself in history with a colossal $1.3 billion worldwide haul.
Proving that success was no fluke, their highly anticipated sequel, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, has absolutely dominated theaters, racking up a massive $966.5 million globally.
Dominating the Netflix Charts
While their movies have rewritten box office history books, Jelenic and Horvath's catalog had already been quietly breaking records behind the scenes inside the Netflix ecosystem.
According to official data released by the streamer, the original Super Mario Bros. Movie camped out in the Netflix Global Top 10 charts for a staggering 24 weeks, amassing over 240 million views between December 2023 and the end of 2025. Concurrently, older seasons of Teen Titans Go! and its companion movie pulled in an additional 80 million views on the platform during that exact same window.
"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."
For the creators, the pivot to streaming represents an unheralded blank canvas to build entirely new worlds from scratch.
"We are thrilled to partner with Netflix to create captivating and immersive series and films over the coming years," Jelenic and Horvath announced in a joint statement. "We are grateful for the opportunity and look forward to entertaining the world's largest audience!"
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 20, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 6:56 AM.