ReadNOW

Adria Arjona is undoubtedly having a second in 2025. After her breakout function in The Belko Experiment, she had a tough go together with initiatives with the likes of Pacific Rim: Rebellion, Six Underground, and Morbius. But in 2025, she not solely earned rave evaluations for her function as Bix Callen in Andor Season 2, however she has additionally grow to be a prime fan option to play Surprise Lady in James Gunn’s new DCU. Nevertheless, it was the 2024 movie Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Hollywood’s new favourite main man Glen Powell, that could possibly be seen as a real turning level.

Hit Man follows an undercover New Orleans police contractor performed by Glenn Powell who poses as a dependable hitman, finally main him to cross paths with a lady who’s attempting to flee her abusive husband. The 2 start a passionate romance that takes a darkish, sinister flip in a film that’s one half darkish comedy, one half rom-com, and all elements a traditional Richard Linklater movie. Regardless of the expertise concerned and Hit Man incomes a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the movie was by no means launched in theaters. As an alternative, it was despatched straight to Netflix and was possible unseen by many. It’s disappointing that Hit Man by no means obtained a theatrical launch, however as soon as Netflix purchased it, followers knew it was not meant to be.

‘Hit Man’ Wasn’t Meant To Be a Streaming Movie

Hit Man had its world premiere on the eightieth Venice Worldwide Movie Pageant on September 5, 2023, with its North American premiere on the 2023 Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant (TIFF) the next week. The movie earned sturdy evaluations from critics in attendance on the screenings, with a typical reward being the movie’s distinctive mix of darkish comedy and romance. The premise would lend itself to the kind of enjoyable shared expertise that makes comedies price seeing on the massive display. Regardless of Richard Linklater taking pictures the movie with the intention of it being launched in theaters, Netflix acquired the rights to the movie, and all of it went south.

Netflix bought the distribution rights to Hit Man for $20 million, the most important sale on the TIFF that 12 months. Regardless of having star Glen Powell, who starred within the field workplace sensation High Gun: Maverick the 12 months prior, Netflix opted to not capitalize on this potential field workplace enhance. As an alternative, they did what they all the time do. Display the movie for every week in a restricted variety of theaters to fulfill the minimal requirement for Academy Award qualification, after which premiere the film on their unique streaming service, which might be overshadowed by quite a few different titles.

Stars Glen Powell and Adria Arjona have been set to have large years in 2024. Glen Powell was simply coming off the shock hit of Anybody however You, and Twisters would open one month after Hit Man hit Netflix, turning into a field workplace hit. In the meantime, Arjona starred within the critically acclaimed Los Frikis and the buzzy darkish comedy Blink Twice. As an alternative of attempting to place these two as the subsequent large stars and construct off the excitement from these different initiatives, Netflix launched Hit Man on Netflix on June 7, 2024, with little to no fanfare.

Regardless of receiving sturdy evaluations, Hit Man’s buzz was largely overshadowed by Dangerous Boys Experience or Die, which opened in theaters on the very same day and offered the enhance the field workplace wanted following disappointing performances from The Fall Man, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Garfield the Film. Netflix might have launched Hit Man in theaters and tried to recoup a few of their funding, however they selected to not.

Netflix’s Enterprise Mannequin Works In opposition to Theaters

Netflix’s buy of Hit Man is each the very best factor and the worst factor that would have occurred to it. With Netflix being probably the most simply watched streaming platform on the planet, it’s little doubt that Hit Man was available to extra individuals than ever. Now, the query is, did individuals truly tune in to observe Hit Man, and in the event that they did, have been they totally watching it, or have been they distracted by their cellphone? Netflix’s choice to amass Hit Artificial it accessible, but in addition extra disposable.

Over the previous two years, Disney has realized the worth of releasing movies in theaters earlier than making them obtainable on its streaming platforms. Lilo & Sew, Moana 2, and Alien: Romulus have been all initially supposed to be straight-to-streaming releases. Nevertheless, after they have been launched in theaters, they grew to become large field workplace hits, with Lilo & Sew just lately crossing the $1 billion mark. That’s cash that Disney was about to lose by investing in streaming releases, however has now recouped its funding and made a revenue. Netflix, although, refuses to do this.

Regardless of the success of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller‘s restricted theatrical launch, the streamer nonetheless balked at protecting it in theaters longer and stored it just for every week. Daniel Craig even criticized the Netflix enterprise mannequin. As an alternative of constructing extra money, they’d reasonably maintain it behind a paywall, one which they should regularly improve as a result of they’re investing cash with out a direct line of revenue. Greta Gerwig, the director of one of many greatest field workplace hits of all time with Barbie, seems to be locked in a battle with Netflix to safe a theatrical launch for her upcoming reboot of The Chronicles of Narnia in IMAX.

A film like Hit Man might have been well-received in theaters and generated an excellent revenue for Netflix on their $20 million funding. We aren’t saying it might have blown the doorways of the field workplace and grow to be one of many highest-grossing movies of 2024. Nevertheless, the information did present that romantic comedies, reminiscent of Glen Powell’s personal Anybody however You, or movies like The Misplaced Metropolis and Ticket to Paradise, had grow to be reasonable hits following the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the theatrical trade confronted a tough begin to 2024, Hit Man possible might have grow to be a good hit. It definitely would have made for a extra intriguing Valentine’s Day launch than Sony’s Madame Net.

It is exhausting to not watch Hit Man and consider what was misplaced, because it might have been an ideal film to see in an viewers full of individuals. A film that mixes comedy and sensual parts, showcasing cinema made for an grownup viewers, nonetheless has a spot on the theater.