A successful Will Smith sci-fi movie has appeared on a major streaming chart. Will Smith is a rapper and Oscar-winning actor who first rose to prominence onscreen when he played the title role in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which ran for six seasons between 1990 and 1996. He successfully transitioned into being a major movie star after playing lead roles in the 1995 action-comedy Bad Boys and the 1996 alien invasion movie Independence Day, the latter of which grossed $817.4 million and became the highest-grossing release of the year.
Although subsequent Will Smith movies have taken on a wide variety of genres, he starred in many science fiction movies after the runaway success of Independence Day. His sci-fi output includes the first three movies in the Men in Black franchise, the post-apocalyptic Richard Matheson adaptation I Am Legend, and M. Night Shyamalan's 2013 movie After Earth. One of his biggest science fiction hits, which debuted between Men in Black II and I Am Legend, has experienced a resurgence in early 2025.
I, Robot Has Hit A Major Streaming Chart
The Will Smith Movie Debuted In 2004
I, Robot has found new success on streaming in 2025. The Will Smith movie, which debuted in 2004, takes its name from an Isaac Asimov short story collection, though the narrative - about a detective investigating a murder committed by a robot in 2035 - bears very little resemblance to Asimov's work. Although the sequel I, Robot 2 never came to fruition, the movie was a success, grossing $353.1 million worldwide (making it the 11th highest-grossing movie of the year) and going on to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
I, Robot, which was directed by The Crow's Alex Proyas, also stars Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, Alan Tudyk, and Shia LaBeouf.
Now, I, Robot has arrived on the daily Hulu chart of the most-watched movies on the streaming platform. On Friday, it had risen to No. 14, surging past the 2024 thriller The Silent Hour. The movies ahead of it included modern releases such as the 2024 Lifetime movie The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story and the Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin dramedy A Real Pain, the latter of which has won a Golden Globe and been nominated for a SAG Award and two BAFTAs.
Our Take On I, Robot's Streaming Success
The Movie Typically Bubbles Under
Ultimately, the Will Smith sci-fi movie is continuing its trend of being a hit that flies just below the radar. It landing outside the Top 10 on Hulu mimics the fact that it couldn't crack the Top 10 movies of 2004. Additionally, while it was once one of the Top 10 highest grossing Will Smith movies, it is now No. 13 thanks to being surpassed by hits including 2019's Aladdin and 2016's Suicide Squad. However, its success on Hulu shows that it still has the ability to connect with audiences in the same way that it did 21 years before.
Source: Hulu
I, Robot is a science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas, set in a 2035 world where robots are integrated into society. Detective Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, is skeptical of these machines and investigates a crime he believes was committed by a robot, challenging the established trust humans have in robotic technology. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence, ethics, and the evolving relationship between humans and robots.
Release Date
July 15, 2004
Runtime
115 Minutes
Director
Alex Proyas
Writers
Akiva Goldsman
, Jeff Vintar
Budget
120000000.0
Studio(s)
Davis Entertainment
, Laurence Mark Productions
, Canlaws Productions
, 20th Century Fox
, Overbrook Entertainment
, Mediastream Vierte Film GmbH & Co. Vermarktungs KG
English (US) ·