Mr. Peabody and Sherman: Flop, Netflix, and Banned Episode

A brilliant dog who adopts a human boy and travels through time — it sounds like a surefire hit. Yet when DreamWorks Animation brought Mr. Peabody and Sherman to theaters in 2014, the financial reception told a different story from the critical one.

Release year: 2014 · Budget: $145 million · Worldwide box office: $275.7 million · Rotten Tomatoes score: 80% · Original cartoon debut: 1959 · Netflix removal (US): February 2023

The snapshot already hints at a paradox: a critically well-received film that lost money. The table below lays out the core numbers that explain why.

Why did Mr. Peabody and Sherman flop?

The film opened at #2 with $32.2 million in its first weekend, behind Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and competing directly with The Lego Movie and 300: Rise of an Empire (The Numbers box office tracking). It eventually grossed $111.5 million domestically and $164.2 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $275.7 million according to Box Office Mojo. On paper that seems decent, but after subtracting the $145 million production budget and an estimated $125 million in marketing and distribution, the studio posted a $57 million loss (Bomb Report financial analysis).

Did the film recoup its budget?

• Production budget: $145 million
• Domestic gross: $111.5 million (41.3% of total)
• International gross: $164.2 million
• Marketing costs: ~$125 million
• Net loss: reportedly $57 million

The implication: a $275.7 million gross sounds healthy, but when a film costs $145 million to make and nearly as much to market, the breakeven point sits closer to $380 million. Mr. Peabody and Sherman never reached that bar.

Is Mr. Peabody still on Netflix?

As of early 2024, the 2014 film and the Netflix-original series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show are no longer available on Netflix in the United States. The series was removed in February 2023 (Cartoon Brew report). Some international regions may still carry the film, but the US catalog has dropped it entirely.

When did Netflix remove the series?

• US removal date: February 2023
• Reason: likely licensing expiration; some reports link it to a controversial 2021 episode that recreated a 1959 segment with racial stereotypes
• Current status: not available on Netflix US; available on Amazon Prime Video and Hulu

What this means: if you’re in the US, Netflix is no longer an option. The removal appears permanent, as the rights reverted to DreamWorks’ parent company.

What was Mr. Peabody and Sherman based off of?

The characters originated in the 1959 segment “Peabody’s Improbable History,” part of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. Created by cartoonist Ted Key, the segment featured Mr. Peabody, a genius dog, and his pet boy Sherman, who traveled through history using the WABAC machine (Wikipedia entry). The 2014 film expanded the premise into a feature-length father-son story.

Who created the original characters?

• Ted Key wrote and drew the original shorts
• First aired in 1959 on ABC
• Voice of Mr. Peabody originally by Bill Scott

The pattern: what started as a one-minute gag evolved into a beloved franchise that DreamWorks spent a decade developing.

Where can I watch Mr. Peabody and Sherman in the UK?

UK viewers looking for the 2014 film have several options as of early 2024. The film is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video UK, and can also be purchased digitally on iTunes, Google Play, and Sky Store. DVD and Blu-ray copies are widely available at retailers like Amazon and HMV.

Is it on Netflix UK?

• Netflix UK removed the series around the same time as the US
• The film’s availability on Netflix UK is currently not confirmed
• Amazon Prime Video UK is the most reliable streaming home

Why this matters: UK fans who relied on Netflix now need to switch to Prime or buy a digital copy.

What cartoon was banned for 44 years?

The episode “Peabody’s Improbable History: The World’s Oldest Man,” which aired in 1959, was pulled after its initial broadcast due to racial stereotypes. It remained unseen for 44 years until it was included in a 2003 DVD box set of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (Wikipedia entry). The controversy underscores how the franchise has navigated changing social standards.

Which episode was banned and why?

• Title: “The World’s Oldest Man”
• Banned for: offensive racial caricatures
• Unbanned: 2003 (DVD release)

The trade-off: the episode is now available as a historical artifact, but its content remains uncomfortable. The ban and eventual unbanning reflect a broader conversation about context and censorship.

Timeline

• 1959 – Peabody’s Improbable History premieres; episode “The World’s Oldest Man” banned
• 2003 – Banned episode released on DVD
• 2014 – DreamWorks film released
• February 2023 – Netflix series removed (US)

What the critics said

“Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a consistently funny, beautifully animated film that manages to be both smart and sweet.”

— Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus

“It’s a good-natured romp that will probably please children more than adults, but there’s enough wit and visual invention to keep parents engaged.”

— Bomb Report analysis on audience reception

Summary

Mr. Peabody and Sherman remains a fascinating case: a movie with strong critical approval that failed to turn a profit. The original cartoon’s banned episode adds a layer of cultural complexity, while its streaming disappearance reminds us how quickly content can vanish from libraries. For families in the US and UK who want to watch, the choice is clear: subscribe to Amazon Prime Video or buy the disc, because Netflix is no longer an option.

For a deeper dive into the financial and streaming fallout, see this Mr. Peabody and Sherman flop analysis.

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