NBC and Universal’s signature streaming service Peacock features a wide variety of movies and TV shows that change from month to month, and many big titles are leaving in May 2023. First launched in July 2020, Peacock hit the ground running by carrying some of the most popular NBC shows and movies from day one. Since then, the streamer has diversified its platform by creating hit original shows like Bel-Air, and it has quickly positioned itself as one of the top subscription services on the market. Despite its wealth of content, Peacock is in a constant state of change, which sees many shows and movies leave each month.
With the backing of a powerful company like NBC, Peacock has thrown its hat in the original content ring and has produced new shows and movies that rival even the best that network TV has to offer. Additionally, the streamer has also branched out into the world of live sports which has made Peacock a live-streaming destination for fans of professional wrestling, soccer, and motorsports. The best new shows on Peacock have gained a loyal subscriber base, but with additions also comes the departure of popular content. And some of these movies and TV shows leave Peacock in May 2023.
The Harry Potter Series
- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
Perhaps the most high-profile departure from Peacock in May 2023 is the streamer’s loss of the original Harry Potter films. Warner Brother’s eight-movie saga has bounced between streaming services in recent years, and Peacock’s loss of the movies is certainly a blow to the increasingly popular service. With the confirmation of a Harry Potter TV show in development on HBO Max, it is likely that the films will find a more stable home on that service as Warner Bros. continues to expand the franchise in the future.
The Fifty Shades Of Grey Trilogy
- Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
- Fifty Shades Darker (2017)
- Fifty Shades Freed (2018)
Based on the wildly popular romance book series of the same name by author E.L. James, the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is leaving Peacock in May 2023. Starting with the release of 2015’s Fifty Shades of Grey, the erotic romance adaptations did big business for Universal Pictures with the first film generating over $500 million (via Box Office Mojo). Though the movies were almost universally panned by critics, they were all smash hits that made a tidy profit for Universal. After its departure from Peacock, Fifty Shades of Grey will remain available on HBO Max, though the sequels are not.
The Smurfs Series
- The Smurfs (2011)
- The Smurfs 2 (2013)
The crowd-pleasing live-action adaptation of The Smurfs leaves Peacock in May, and is joined by the sequel film The Smurfs 2. Despite mostly negative reviews, 2011’s The Smurfs drew in the family crowd and performed well enough to earn a sequel only a few years later in 2013. The films featured an epic cast including the likes of Neil Patrick Harris, Katy Perry, and Anton Yelchin, and were a fitting tribute to the classic cartoon that inspired them.
Are We There Yet? Series
- Are We There Yet? (2005)
- Are We Done Yet? (2007)
The mid-’00s comedy hit Are We There Yet? and its sequel Are We Done Yet? both depart Peacock’s catalog in May 2023 among a host of other high-profile comedies. Starring rapper Ice Cube, the family-friendly farce was a surprise box office sensation, and the cast of Are We There Yet? mostly returned en masse for the follow-up a few years later. Fortunately for fans of both films, they will remain for streaming on HBO Max after May.
Dirty Dancing Series
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)
The 1987 classic Dirty Dancing made stars out of Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, and it was popular enough to spawn an ill-fated sequel in 2004 called Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. The original film has become a quintessential piece of 1980s culture, and it featured one of the most beloved soundtracks of the entire decade. Both of the dance-centric romance films will be leaving Peacock’s catalog in May.
The Ultimate Gift Trilogy
- The Ultimate Gift (2006)
- The Ultimate Life (2013)
- The Ultimate Legacy (2016)
The spiritually-driven 2006 drama The Ultimate Gift kicked off a bit of a franchise in the form of two sequels over the ensuing decade, and all three films in the trilogy leave Peacock in May. Though mainstream critics mostly panned all three films, the trilogy found success with its target demographic and The Ultimate Gift was one of the earliest roles for its star Abigail Breslin.
Adam Sandler Movies
- Billy Madison (1995)
- Bulletproof (1996)
- Happy Gilmore (1996)
Adam Sandler’s illustrious catalog of films has remained popular with each successive generation of viewer that discovers them, and some underrated Sandler films have even found new life on streaming services like Peacock. However, several of Sandler’s biggest hits leave Peacock in May, with the departure of Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Along with those two films, which helped Sandler become a bona fide movie star, the action film Bulletproof also leaves Peacock and is one of the hidden gems of Sandler’s filmography.
Hallmark Movies
- The Beach House (2018)
- Carrot Cake Murder: A Hannah Swensen Mystery (2023)
- The Christmas Train (2017)
- Debbie Macomber’s Dashing Through the Snow (2015)
- Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas (2011)
- Dream Moms (2023)
- Flip That Romance (2019)
- Hearts in the Game (2023)
- Hidden Gems (2022)
- Jane Mysteries: The Inheritance Lost (2023)
- Journey of My Heart (2021)
- Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge (2015)
- Karen Kingsbury’s The Bridge Part 2 (2016)
- The Love Club: Sydney’s Journey (2023)
- Love Under The Rainbow (2019)
- Love in Zion National: A National Park Romance (2023)
- Matchmaker Mysteries: A Fatal Romance (2020)
- Mystery 101: Playing Dead (2019)
- Picture Perfect Mysteries: Dead Over Diamonds (2020)
- Spring Breakthrough (2023)
- Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths (2022)
Peacock has long been a repository for many of the Hallmark Channel’s films and series, and May 2023 sees the departure of a large swath of Hallmark originals. Stretching as far back as 2011’s Debbie Macomber’s Trading Christmas, the list of Hallmark content departing Peacock in May even includes relatively new releases from earlier in 2023. Despite a heaping helping of the channel’s romance and mystery films leaving in May, Peacock will continue to host Hallmark content in future months.
’90s Action
- Enemy of the State (1998)
- Face/Off (1997)
- Mercury Rising (1998)
- Speed (1994)
- True Lies (1994)
- Waterworld (1995)
The 1990s was a great decade for action movies, and some of the most popular films of that era were high-octane thrillers. Peacock has frequently carried a strong sampling of action films from all eras, but the films departing the streamer in May 2023 represent some of the best action movies of the ’90s. Though they weren’t all smash hits, the bulk of the ’90s action films leaving Peacock perfectly embody the blockbuster sensibility of the decade.
Award Winners
- 8 Mile (2002)
- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Gandhi (1982)
- The Joy Luck Club (1993)
- Life of Pi (2012)
- Memoirs of a Geisha (2005)
- My Cousin Vinny (1992)
- Schindler’s List (1993)
- She Said (2022)
- Sicario (2015)
- Tár (2022)
Positioning itself as one of the most well-rounded streaming services around, Peacock’s catalog includes something for every type of viewer, including a strong selection of award-winning films. Peacock’s clout has also made it the landing spot of some of the newest critical darlings of the past few years, and movies like 2022’s Tár and She Said will be leaving their original streaming home in May 2023. Along with newer gems, older award-winning films like Gandhi and Schindler’s List will also be leaving.
Family Favorites
- How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
- The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Like most streaming services, Peacock has tailored some of their catalog to families, and it frequently carries some of the most popular children’s films and shows. 2014’s critical darling How to Train Your Dragon 2 leaves Peacock in May, along with the equally popular The Lego Batman Movie from 2017. Outside those two extremely successful franchise films, Dreamworks’ underrated animated film Mr. Peabody & Sherman also leaves the streaming service at the same time.
Everything Else Leaving Peacock In May 2023
- Bleeding Steel (2017)
- Bruce Almighty (2003)
- The Change-Up (2011)
- Definitely, Maybe (2008)
- Doom (2005)
- Dragon Blade (2015)
- The Fighting Temptations (2003)
- Fist Fight (2017)
- For Love of the Game (1999)
- The Good Shepherd (2006)
- The Grandmaster (2013)
- Half Baked (1998)
- How High (2001)
- Oblivion (2013)
- Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016)
- Ride Along 2 (2016)
- Salt (2010)
- Spy Game (2001)
- The Tuxedo (2002)
- Violent Night (2022)
- Waist Deep (2006)
- While You Were Sleeping (1995)
- The Wolverine (2013)
- The Boy Next Door (2015)
Among the almost 90 movies and shows leaving Peacock in May 2023 is a mixture of obscure films and big hits, with some even being newer releases. Classic stoner comedies like Half Baked and How High leave in May, as well as hit mainstream films like Jim Carrey’s Bruce Almighty. Interestingly, the 2022 Christmas action comedy Violent Night also leaves Peacock in May, and will be moving on from its original streaming home since its release. Also, with its addition to Disney Plus, 2013’s Marvel comic book extravaganza The Wolverine will not be available on Peacock after May.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
