A 2009 martial arts film produced by the Wachowskis is performing well during its streaming run. The Wachowskis made their directorial debut with the crime thriller Linked in 1996, after writing the script for the 1995 Sylvester Stallone film Assassins. But the brothers achieved global fame when they wrote and directed the 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving. The film was met with widespread critical acclaim and is considered a modern classic, as well as one of the greatest and most influential science fiction films ever made.
After the unexpected success of The Matrixthe duo wrote and directed The Matrix Reloadedand The Matrix Revolutions (both in 2003), in addition to expanding The Matrix franchise in the video game and animation industry. Coming out of the series, they also wrote dystopian action films V for Vendettain addition to making sports action comedies speed runnerand the ambitious cast of the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas. After writing and directing the space opera Jupiter Ascending In 2015, they co-created the science fiction drama TV show Sense8 for Netflix; but a 2009 martial arts action film they produced is also performing well on streaming.
Ninja Assassin finds streaming success 15 years after initial release
The martial arts action film is performing well at the Max
Launched in 2009, Ninja Assassin was directed by James McTeigue and written by J. Michael Straczynski and Matthew Sand, and produced by the Wachowskis and Joel Silver. Following a disillusioned killer seeking revenge against a former mentor, the film performed modestly at the box officegrossing US$61.6 million against a production budget of US$30 million. But it was panned by critics, scoring just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I also believe that the recent launch of The Matrix on Paramount+, as well as Jupiter Ascending debuting on Max, both brought renewed attention to the Wachowskis' back catalogue.
Despite that, the film is performing well during its run on the HBO Max streaming platform. At the time of writing, the film was fourth on the platform's Top 10 Movies Today in the United States, just behind National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in nº 3, Elf at number 2, and Beetle juice Beetle juice in the first place. The film is ahead of Clash of the Titans in nº 5, The Goonies in nº 6, The Polar Express in nº 7, Megamind in nº 8, Death Race at number 9, and Superman: The Christopher Reeve Story at number 10.
Our verdict on Ninja Assassin's streaming success
The film could have benefited from the recent emergence of Matrix streaming
There are a number of reasons why Ninja Assassin could be enjoying an unexpected run on Max, with the fact that its martial arts action offers easy-to-watch escapism as well as a departure from the deluge of party films currently dominating streaming platforms. But I also believe that the recent launch of The Matrix on Paramount+, as well as Jupiter Ascending debuting in Max, both brought renewed attention to the Wachowskis' back catalogue, which will no doubt have helped fuel the success of Ninja Assassin in Max, and can even lead to Ninja Assassin 2 entering development.
Source: Max.