What's leaving Netflix in December : Complete list
December 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most significant monthly purges Netflix has seen in a while. Over 30 movies and a dozen TV titles are scheduled to disappear from the platform before January 1st, and tracking exactly what's leaving, and when, is exactly the kind of work we do daily. Whether you're a casual viewer or a dedicated binge-watcher, the next few weeks call for some urgent watchlist decisions.
Films leaving Netflix in December 2026 : a massive first-of-the-month sweep
December 1st hits hardest. This is typically when bulk licensing agreements expire simultaneously, and this year is no exception. The sheer volume of departures on that single date is striking : we're talking about franchise films, cult classics, and Oscar-caliber titles all vanishing overnight.
The Karate Kid franchise leaves in full, including the original 1984 film, its two sequels, and the 2010 remake. That's four films gone at once. Equally notable is the departure of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986), a science-fiction double bill that fans have relied on Netflix to revisit for years. Zero Dark Thirty (2012), Kathryn Bigelow's gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden, also exits on December 1st alongside Nora Ephron's romantic classic Sleepless in Seattle (1993).
Here's a snapshot of the most notable films departing on December 1st :
- Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986)
- The Karate Kid (1984), Part II (1986), Part III (1989), and the 2010 remake
- Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- Concussion (2015), Crawl (2019), Green Room (2015)
- 9 to 5 (1980) and 17 Again (2009)
- xXx (2002), Mile 22 (2018), Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Later in the month, How to Train Your Dragon (the 2025 live-action adaptation distributed by Universal Pictures) leaves on December 10th, and Jurassic World : Rebirth (2025) disappears on December 26th. Two major 2025 releases gone within the same month is a pattern worth noting.
A quick heads-up on timing : removal dates represent your last full day to watch. Titles formally disappear at midnight PT (3 AM ET), so plan accordingly.
Series and Netflix Originals : the bigger losses to know
For TV viewers, December's departures cut deeper. Scandal, Shonda Rhimes' seven-season political thriller that ran from 2012 to 2018, exits on December 17th. All seven seasons. If you've never watched Kerry Washington navigate the chaos of Washington D.C. fixer politics, now is your last window. MTV's Teen Wolf (all six seasons) disappears on December 1st alongside British drama Victoria (Seasons 1-3) and the comedy-drama Eastsiders (4 seasons).
Netflix Originals are not immune this month, and that's worth emphasizing. Licensing agreements on co-productions and exclusive distribution deals do expire, even on titles carrying the Netflix banner. The single biggest Original departure is The Last Kingdom, the acclaimed historical epic based on Bernard Cornwell's The Saxon Stories novels. All five seasons are scheduled to leave on December 9th (currently unconfirmed). Season 5, the final one, was added to Netflix on March 9th, 2022. That's less than five years of availability for a show that built a genuinely passionate audience.
| Title | Type | Departure date |
|---|---|---|
| The Last Kingdom (S1-5)* | Netflix Original series | December 9th |
| Scandal (S1-7) | Series | December 17th |
| Bonus Family (S1-4) | Netflix Original (Swedish) | December 14th |
| Crazyhead (S1) | Netflix Original (British) | December 16th |
| Bill Burr : I'm Sorry You Feel That Way | Netflix Original special | December 5th |
| Hunters (S1-2) | Series | December 3rd |
| Teen Wolf (S1-6) | Series | December 1st |
Other notable Original removals include the Spanish series The Barrier (December 4th), Swedish production If I Hadn't Met You (December 18th), the satirical mockumentary Death to 2021 (December 17th), and Yanxi Palace : Princess Adventures wrapping the month on December 31st. For fans of crime thriller series leaving Netflix, December brings several titles worth watching before they go.
Documentaries and sports content : don't overlook these departures
Beyond fiction, documentary fans face real losses. Six 30 for 30 ESPN films leave on December 2nd, including Celtics/Lakers : The Best of Enemies (2017) and Winning Time (2010). These are sharp, well-produced sports documentaries that tend to get buried under fictional content, but they're genuinely worth a watch.
Borg vs. McEnroe (2017), the Swedish film dramatizing the legendary 1980 Wimbledon final between Björn Borg and John McEnroe, also exits on December 2nd. Becoming Led Zeppelin (2024), a Sony Pictures documentary, departs on December 7th. Given that this film was decades in the making and represents the band's first official documentary, catching it before it leaves is genuinely worth prioritizing.
On the gaming side, Knittens : Cats and Dogs (available on iOS and Android through Netflix's mobile game catalog) disappears on December 1st. A small loss, but worth mentioning for completeness.
One practical note : all removal dates are subject to change. Netflix occasionally extends licenses at the last minute, or pulls titles earlier than announced. We update our tracking as soon as new departure notices drop, so checking back regularly through November and December is the best way to stay ahead of these changes.