Ryan Reynolds’ Critically Panned Action Movie Is Getting A New Streaming Home Very Soon

A critically panned Ryan Reynolds action title is coming to streaming. Reynolds is now probably best known for playing the Marvel Comics character Deadpool in the X-Men film franchise and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, he has a number of prominent titles under his belt, including National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, The Adam Project, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

Many Ryan Reynolds movies have found critical and commercial success. In fact, the star’s movies have collectively made $7.99 billion at the box office so far. He also has 10 different titles on his resume that have been Certified Fresh by the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, including Mississippi Grind (91%), Buried (87%), Free Guy (80%), and Definitely, Maybe (71%).

However, not all of his releases have been well received, either by critics or at the box office. These include his 2011 superhero disappointment Green Lantern (which has 15% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $220 million against a reported budget of $200 million) and the action-comedy sequel The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard (25%, $70.1 million against $70 million).

R.I.P.D. Has Found A New Streaming Home

It’s Coming To The Platform Soon

One of Ryan Reynolds’ biggest flops was 2013’s R.I.P.D., which has found a new streaming home. The movie is based on Peter M. Lenkov’s 1999 comic book of the same name and follows a Boston Police detective who is killed and joins the Rest In Peace Department (R.I.P.D.), an afterlife law enforcement group that tracks down escaped souls.

The R.I.P.D. cast also includes Jeff Bridges, Kevin Bacon, Mary-Louise Parker, Mike O’Malley, and James Hong. In spite of its star-studded ensemble, the movie was a box office bomb, grossing $78.3 million against a reported budget of roughly $150 million. It also received a dismal 13% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Per Collider, R.I.P.D. is set to arrive on Hulu on August 1, along with a raft of titles that also includes Pretty Woman, 1983’s Scarface, Kick-Ass, Ice Age, Click, and Ryan Reynolds’ 2009 romantic comedy The Proposal.

What This Means For R.I.P.D.

Hulu May Not Be The Right Home For It

R.I.P.D. landing on Hulu marks the first time that the movie is available on streaming for some time, as it is not currently available on any free or subscription platforms. By becoming available on Hulu without the costs associated with rental or purchase, the movie might find a broader at-home audience than it has recently enjoyed.

However, it remains separate from its surprise Ryan Reynolds-free sequel, 2022’s R.I.P.D.: Rise of the Damned, which stars Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan and is currently streaming on Netflix. The project being linked with its follow-up might have been its best bet for drawing more attention to it, so it remains to be seen how it performs on Hulu.

Source: Collider & Rotten Tomatoes