A 2009 martial arts movie produced by the Wachowskis is performing well during its run on streaming. The Wachowskis made their directorial debut with the crime thriller Bound in 1996, after penning the screenplay for 1995 Sylvester Stallone movie Assassins. But the siblings shot to global fame when they wrote and directed the 1999 science fiction action film The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, and Hugo Weaving. The movie 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.
Following the unexpected success of The Matrix, the duo wrote and directed The Matrix Reloaded, and The Matrix Revolutions (both 2003), as well as expanding The Matrix franchise in the realm of video games and animation. Branching out from the series, they also wrote dystopian action movie V For Vendetta, as well as making sports action-comedy Speed Racer, and the ambitious ensemble cast sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas. After writing and directing the space opera Jupiter Ascending in 2015, they co-created the sci-fi 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 Movie Is Performing Well On Max
Released 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 assassin seeking vengeance against a former mentor, the movie performed modestly at the box office, grossing $61.6 million against a production budget of $30 million. But it was critically panned, scoring just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
I also believe the recent release of
The Matrix
on Paramount+, as well as
Jupiter Ascending
debuting on Max, have both brought renewed attention to the Wachowskis' back catalog.
Despite this, the movie is currently performing well during its stint on HBO's streaming platform Max. At the time of writing, the film is sitting at No. 4 on the platform's Top 10 Movies Today for the United States, just behind National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation at No. 3, Elf at No. 2, and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice at No. 1. The film is ahead of Clash of the Titans at No. 5, The Goonies at No. 6, The Polar Express at No. 7, Megamind at No. 8, Death Race at No. 9, and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story at No. 10.
Our Verdict On Ninja Assassin's Streaming Success
The Movie Could Have Benefited From The Matrix's Recent Streaming Appearance
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 provides easy-watching escapism, as well as a departure from the deluge of festive films currently dominating streaming platforms. But, I also believe the recent release of The Matrix on Paramount+, as well as Jupiter Ascending debuting on Max, have both brought renewed attention to the Wachowskis' back catalog, which will no doubt have helped fuel the success of Ninja Assassin on Max, and could even lead to Ninja Assassin 2 entering development.
Ninja Assassin
director James McTeigue also worked with the Wachowskis behind the camera on
V For Vendetta
.
Source: Max
Young ninja Raizo seeks vengeance against his former master in Ninja Assassin, an action-packed martial arts film by director James McTeigue. Following the death of his childhood friend at the order of his mentor, Raizo begins training relentlessly and conducts assassination missions worldwide on behalf of the Ozunu Clan. Seeking revenge, Razio begins to train himself and thwart all future operations conducted by his former Clan.
English (US) ·