A fantasy film starringLiam Neesonthat tanked at the box office has found new life as a top 10 streaming hit on Netflix over 13 years after it premiered. The Irish screen legend may have scored an Oscar nomination for his turn in the title role of 1993’sSchindler’s List, but Neeson is perhaps best known for his action films. Whether he’s playing the superhero-like character of Darkman or rescuing his family inTaken, Neeson’s cool demeanor and understated performances gel perfectly with the action genre.
Now, a 13-year-old Liam Neeson flop is making a resurgence, with2012’sWrath of the Titansfinding its way into the Netflix top 10. For the week of June 2-8, theClash of the Titanssequel reached number six on the global charts, garnering over 3 million views in just a week. Unlike most other films in the top 10,Wrath of the Titansis only in the top 10 in the United States. In only its first week on the chart,Wrath of the Titanspassed stalwarts likePuss in Boots: The Last WishandThe Wild Robot.
What This Means For Wrath Of The Titans
Almost Anything Can Become A Hit On Streaming
Following the box office success of2010’sClash of the Titans, a sequel seemed inevitable. However,Wrath of the Titanswas something of a financial failure, and essentially dashed any hopes of making an ongoing franchise.The movie’s success on streaming is likely driven by its impressive cast, especially Liam Neeson, and his star hasn’t faded much in recent years.
$150 million
$301 million
26%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
49%
Netflix is jam-packed with classic and original content, and nearly any movie can find new life on the platform if it is released at the right time. However,Wrath of the Titans' streaming success probably won’t restart the failed franchise.
Our Take On Wrath Of The Titans' Success On Netflix
The Movie Is Much More Popular Now
The early years of the2010s were a strange time for Hollywood blockbusters, and I thinkWrath of the Titans' success on Netflix is driven purely by nostalgia. Like its predecessor,Wrath of the Titansis not a great film by any metric, but its bombastic storytelling and over-the-top premise is something that’s sadly lacking in the safe tentpole movies of the 2020s.
For all of its flaws, theClash of the Titanssequel is never boring, and certainly used every penny of its inflated budget. It’s particularly telling thatWrath of the Titansis a streaming hit on Netflix despite the fact that its predecessor isn’t even on the platform.
It also seemingly shot up the charts without any outside motivation, which can’t be said for other films such asM3GANandNow You See Me,which are both releasing sequels soon. I can’t help but think thatLiam Neeson’s starpower is one of the reasons thatWrath of the Titansmade the top 10, but it remains to be seen if it will stay on the chart for long.
