Netflix Originals have been leaving Netflix at an increasing pace and joining that growing list of removals now is Willy and the Guardians of the Lake: Tales from the Lakeside Winter Adventure which is leaving in early April 2022.
Set to leave Netflix on April 1st, the 70-minute feature film was produced in Hungary by Cinemon Entertainment and Vertigo Média-Studio. The movie was first released in December 2018.
The movie streams on Netflix globally with the exception of Hungary where the movie was produced. It was added to the service globally on March 27th, 2020 meaning that the movie was only given to Netflix on a short 2-year license.
If you’re a fan of international animation, this is a must-watch particularly given when we see Netflix Originals depart, they rarely move to other platforms or are made available on VOD.
Here’s what you can expect if you decide to give it a whirl:
“As winter approaches the lake, a common threat rattles the Verdies and Grimps as Willy Whistle looks to seize his chance to become a guardian.”
Netflix also notably provided localization for the title including “British English” audio options in addition to the original Hungarian voice cast. Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish audio options are also available.
Why is a Netflix Original leaving Netflix?
Many Netflix Originals aren’t actually full Netflix Originals (you can read more about the different types of Originals here) and in this instance, Netflix only had the exclusive distribution rights for international regions.
Netflix putting its Originals all under the same banner is a problem in this regard and means that it’s unclear to differentiate titles that will be on Netflix forever and those for only a limited amount of time.
This isn’t the first major animated project to leave Netflix. The Little Prince is perhaps the biggest animated movie to have left so far and did so in May 2021.
Will you be checking out this movie before it departs Netflix? Let us know in the comments down below.