Summer is here, and that means big movies are hitting theaters! But streaming services like Netflix and HBO Max are also releasing plenty of new content each month, including original films hoping to become popular. In fact, streaming movies can be huge successes – Netflix’s Kpop Demon Hunters was a massive hit in 2025 and even won an Oscar. Now, Netflix has a new animated movie that looks like it could be just as big.
This past week, the animated film Swapped was the second most popular English-language movie on Netflix, with 15.5 million views. It debuted on May 1st and had the biggest opening weekend for a Netflix animated film since Leo. Only the new action thriller Apex was more popular.
Swapped‘s Streaming Viewership Numbers Explained
The new show Swapped quickly gained a lot of attention, racking up 15.5 million views and being streamed for a total of 26.4 million hours in its first few days. For comparison, Kpop Demon Hunters had 5.4 million views and 9 million hours streamed when it first launched last year. However, a strong start doesn’t guarantee long-term success like Kpop Demon Hunters achieved. That show grew into a worldwide hit thanks to viewers sharing it with others and has remained in Netflix’s top 10 for almost a year – an exceptional run. Unless Swapped also becomes hugely popular through word of mouth, it’s likely Kpop Demon Hunters will eventually have more overall viewers.
The new animated film Swapped is off to a strong start, and it’s clear why it’s already popular. It’s received mostly positive reviews (currently 70% on Rotten Tomatoes) and has a really engaging story that grabs your attention. The film offers a fresh take on the classic body swap idea, following an otter named Ollie and a bird named Ivy who magically switch bodies and go on an adventure. With voice actors like recent Oscar winner Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple from Ted Lasso, the movie has plenty of star power to attract a wide audience.
Animated movies featuring talking animals are consistently popular with audiences. Recent examples like Zootopia 2 and Pixar’s Hoppers have proven this, achieving significant box office success and strong debuts, respectively. The latest film, Swapped, follows this trend. Though released directly on Netflix, rather than in theaters, it clearly connected with viewers and found a large audience, demonstrating the value of streaming platforms in reaching a wider audience.
Although Swapped probably won’t become as popular as Kpop Demon Hunters, it’s great that Netflix has another successful animated film. Netflix has consistently done well with action, romance, and science fiction, and adding big animated movies to the mix helps them appeal to a wider audience. This could potentially launch a new animated series for the platform, or at least lead to future collaborations with the filmmakers.
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2026-05-08 22:40