Netflix is trying to build its own animation universe

Vulture

Netflix's release release of Big Mouth spinoff Human Resources and the recent announcement that it is developing a slew of Dr. Seuss-themed shows is the streamer's attempt to fight in the "cartoon wars." "On Friday, Netflix’s adult-animation unit will celebrate yet another milestone with the premiere of its first spinoff, Human Resources," says Josef Adalian. "The Big Mouth offshoot, which revolves around the Hormone Monsters and other emotional 'helpers' seen in the original series, actually marks the first time any Netflix comedy has spawned a sequel — and there’s more riding on its success than whether the service can chalk up another hit. With conglomerates such as WarnerMedia and Disney now using their extensive content libraries to build their streaming services, Netflix’s ability to tap into the biggest preexisting brands for programming has been severely restricted (though not completely shut off, as evidenced by this week’s deal for more Dr. Seuss series). Anticipating this, Netflix has been rushing to build up its library of intellectual property, hoping a handful of its biggest shows can be turned into franchises. And as both The Simpsons and Family Guy have shown with their respective spinoffs, adult animation very much lends itself to universe-building."