Operation Mincemeat – Image: Warner Brothers / Netflix

Since its release on Netflix last week, Operation Mincemeat has made its way to the top of Netflix’s top 10, but not everywhere. While it’s largely synonymous with being a Netflix Original, it’s only so in select regions. Here’s why.

The new Colin Firth WWII film comes from See-Saw Films and Cohen Media Group. The reason it only came to Netflix in select regions is because the film was sold to individual distributors on a country-by-country basis.

In this case it would always be like that Operation Mincemeat would be available on Netflix in select regions only. They bought rights to select regions in March 2021 for an alleged $15 million.

Warner Bros holds the distribution rights in select European countries such as France, the Netherlands and the UK where it has received a theatrical release.

How many regions is Operation Mincemeat streaming in?

Netflix only managed to license the film in at least six regions.

These include:

• North America:
  • United States of America
  • Canada
  • Mexico
• Latin America

While the United States won the license for the film in this case, those outside of the US generally fare better when it comes to getting exclusive films. Since most distributors now have offices in the US, they choose to take their films there. Some movies that run on Hulu or Paramount go international to Netflix instead.

Examples from this year are The in-between which came to Netflix in all regions except the US and Mother/Android that was a Hulu Original and came to Netflix.

This is one of hundreds of films that have come to Netflix this way in select regions, and is commonly referred to as an “exclusive international distribution.”

Will Operation Mincemeat come to Netflix in other regions?

It’s likely we’ll see Operation Mincemeat come to other regions, but no plans have been announced as to if and when that will be. In the above countries where Warner Bros. holds the rights, Netflix receives licensed films from them a few years after their theatrical releases. Netflix UK, for example, receives new Warner Bros. films about 2 years after their theatrical release.

In all other regions, the film is distributed on a country-by-country basis. In most cases, the best way to watch is via VOD services.

Do you want Operation Mincemeat was on Netflix where you live? Let us know in the comments below.