Peacock Just Added a Forgotten 2000s Animated Move (And It’s an Instant Streaming Hit)

January 6, 2026, 5:30pm

The animation boom in the 2000s brought a new wave of animated classics. Driven by the rise of CGI and DreamWorks and the continued success of Disney and Pixar, the new golden age of animated films delivered hit after hit with movies like Finding Nemo, Shrek, and The Incredibles, but not every animated film of the era got the same amount of love. A forgotten and critically panned mid-2000s animated movie has swum onto the streaming charts after arriving on Peacock earlier this month.

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More than two decades after its theatrical release and disastrous critical reception, DreamWorks’ Will Smith-led animated adventure movie Shark Tale is a streaming hit. The movie, about an underachieving fish named Oscar who becomes a hero when he tells a lie, joined the NBCUniversal streamer’s library on January 1st and made it onto the Top 10 list by the next day. The movie currently ranks No. 8 in the U.S., coming ahead of fellow DreamWorks movies How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and The Croods: A New Age.

How Did DreamWorks’ Worst Movie Become a Streaming Hit?

“Worst” may seem a bit hyperbolic, but there’s evidence to support that claim. While DreamWorks has scored several near-perfect movies with titles like How to Train Your Dragon and The Wild Robot, Shark Tale sits on the exact opposite end of that spectrum. The film’s 35% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes makes it the lowest-rated DreamWorks movie ever, with critic Rachel Wagner dubbing it “one of the worst mainstream animated films of the last 20 years,” while others pointed fingers at generally unlikable characters, suggestive themes, and its reliance on celebrity voices over substance.

Despite its initial low critic and audience consensus and the fact that the movie hasn’t exactly aged all that well, especially in comparison to other DreamWorks titles from the era, Shark Tale has been a streaming success. Prior to the film’s Peacock wins, Shark Tale hit the Netflix streaming charts during its run on the platform in early 2025.

For all of its faults, Shark Tale does have a significant nostalgia factor, which has likely contributed to its continued status as a streaming hit. From its catchy soundtrack to its star-studded cast, its tongue-in-cheek, pop-culture-heavy humor, and more, the film is very much a product of its time and a fun watch for millennials and older Gen Z who grew up with it. In some ways, it’s an even better watch as an adult, unlocking new levels of mature humor and explicit social commentary that go over the heads of children. The film has also spawned numerous viral moments, like the squeaky shrimp scene, that have helped it bring back old fans while also attracting new viewers.

What’s New on Peacock?

Shark Tale is riding a wave of success right now, but there are plenty of other new titles to discover on Peacock. The NBCUniversal streamer began 2026 with a rush of new arrivals that included films like All Dogs Go to Heaven, the first three How to Train Your Dragon movies, and Shrek Forever After. Outside of animation, Peacock’s January 1st arrivals also featured Den of Thieves, The Green Mile, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and The Terminator.

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