Netflix Closes Multi-Territory Deal for Sci-Fi Thriller

Netflix Secures Global Rights to 'Meridian'

Netflix has closed a deal to acquire rights to "Meridian," a high-concept sci-fi thriller, across its full 190-territory footprint. The deal, estimated at $18 million, was negotiated directly between Netflix's film acquisitions team and Wild Bunch International, which handled worldwide sales.

The Project

"Meridian" is described as a contained sci-fi thriller set aboard a generation ship where the crew discovers that their perception of time has been artificially manipulated. The project features a multinational European cast and was produced by a Franco-German consortium with support from Eurimages and the French CNC.

The film completed principal photography in late 2025 at studios in Paris and Hamburg, with visual effects handled by Framestore's London facility. Post-production is on track for a Q1 2027 delivery.

Deal Terms

Under the agreement, Netflix acquires exclusive SVOD and theatrical rights worldwide. The streamer is planning a limited theatrical window in select European markets — an increasingly common strategy for prestige genre titles — ahead of the platform premiere.

Wild Bunch International had initially launched sales on the project at the 2025 AFM, where it pre-sold a handful of territories before Netflix stepped in with a worldwide offer that effectively bought out the remaining rights holders.

Market Significance

The deal reflects Netflix's renewed appetite for genre fare with elevated production values. After scaling back on mid-budget acquisitions in 2024, the streamer has been selectively returning to the market for projects that offer both broad audience appeal and critical credibility.

The $18M price tag positions "Meridian" at the upper end of Netflix's acquisition spend for non-English-language genre titles, signaling confidence that sci-fi continues to perform strongly on the platform. Internal data shared by Netflix at its most recent upfront presentation showed that sci-fi titles generate 40% more completion rates than the platform average.

For Wild Bunch International, the deal represents a significant win, validating their strategy of packaging European talent for global distribution.