Gorillaz Explain Why They Walked Away From Netflix Movie Deal

Following the release of the acclaimed new album, The Mountain, and its accompanying short film, The Mountain, the Moon Cave, and the Sad God, Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett and musician Damon Albarn have revealed why they opted for a smaller, indie project rather than a major production they once worked on with Netflix.

In an interview with Zane Lowe this month, Albarn and Hewlett explained why plans for a feature-length film produced by the streaming giant were ultimately scrapped. The duo, who have worked together on the virtual band since 1998, previously expressed interest in a Gorillaz film since the early days of the band.

In 2021, Albarn said he was developing a full-length film with Netflix with Hewlett, but by 2023, he later said the collaboration would "never happen". The band instead turned their focus to the 2023 album, Cracker Island. Now, the duo has given an insight into why a bigger production isn't always better.

Gorillaz Opted for a Short Independent Film Over a High-Budget Netflix Project

Speaking to Lowe for Apple Music, Albarn said Cracker Island, described by the musician as a "strange beast" of an album, was made while the band were in Los Angeles, "waiting around in-between meetings with Netflix."

"We were waiting for something that didn't happen," Damon continued. He called the album a "frustrating record, because it was a frustrating time."

"It moves too slow, the film industry," Hewlett added. "Everything takes so much time."

The artist recalled, "We were working on a script, and we were on the second draft of a pretty good script idea, and then Cracker Island kind of became the movie, it had quite a complicated narrative and storyline weaved through the album." Albarn added, "We were, in a way, letting too much of the new technology, which we didn't really understand, be used on our behalf."

The experience was the antithesis of the duo's working relationship to the degree that it put Hewlett off making a feature-length film entirely. "If we'd done a movie 25 years ago, fine," Jamie said. "But the idea of doing a movie now? No interest in it whatseoever."

The Tank Girl artist explained further why Netflix's production process soured his interest. "We had this moment with Netflix where we were literally told, 'You can do whatever you want, and we'll give you as much money [as you want].' We were like 'Okay, great,' and we had some brilliant ideas, but it was just moving so slow."

There was also an additional hurdle during the development. "The guy we were working with just left," Jamie added, "and [Netflix] said, 'Don't worry, we'll find someone else,' and it's like, there's gonna be another year before this starts again! So we pulled out."

"I just felt like I was hanging around for what seemed like an eternity," Albarn said.

"That's why there was a disconnect for us," Damon recalled during the conversation. Reflecting on the new album, The Mountain, and the short accompanying film, the Blur frontman said working closely with Jamie felt "the opposite" of their experience with Netflix. The short, using three tracks from the album, used traditional animation methods as a nod to the group's anti-AI sentiment.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 12:11 PM.