It looks like the new Netflix original film, PROJECT POWER, registered with Netflix users over the weekend because the Jamie Foxx-led action film topped the platform's list of most-watched titles on its opening weekend.
PROJECT POWER hit the streaming service on Friday and it becomes the latest example of star-studded projects on the platform making a huge stir upon their release and even beyond. Chris Hemsworth had his very own Netflix hit with EXTRACTION while Mark Wahlberg also provided Netflix with record-breaking views with SPENSER CONFIDENTIAL. To show this isn't just a man's sport, Charlize Theron recently led THE OLD GUARD to success on the service and what do all three films have in common? They are potential franchise starters and that's something that Netflix is striving for. The early success of PROJECT POWER indicates that they likely have another one on their hands and to have all of these titles drop in a single year on the service only shows the ever-growing power of Netflix.
What makes the feat for PROJECT POWER even more impressive is that the nature of the data used to compile the top 10 lists on Netflix is naturally skewed against movies. A film is usually only watched once, while a series can have multiple episodes for fans to watch, which drives the latter up more easily into the list of trending titles on the streaming platform. PROJECT POWER was heavily promoted leading up to its release with Jamie Foxx and the rest of the cast, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dominque Fishback, Rodrigo Santoro, Courtney B. Vance, and Machine Gun Kelly, all doing interviews remotely to build hype for the film. Positive reviews also helped with PROJECT POWER earning a decently fresh rating of 60%. Not bad for what looked like it could be a throwaway popcorn film but perhaps that's what the viewing public wanted. The summer movie season is known for its check your brain at the door blockbusters and given the fact that the summer box office season was dismantled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Netflix has provided a home for these titles and given us a must-needed missing link for the summer.
PROJECT POWER follows a cop, played by Gordon-Levitt, and an ex-soldier, played by Foxx, who are up against a dangerous new drug flooding the streets of New Orleans that grants its user superpowers for a few minutes, with the caveat being there is no way to tell beforehand which power you will receive. It will be interesting to see the full viewership numbers for the film when they're released because I imagine they'll be on the level of the other popular Netflix original films that have been released this year.
Did YOU check out PROJECT POWER over the weekend? Check out the top ten most-watched Netflix titles for the weekend below!
1. Project Power
2. The Legend of Korra
3. The Lost Husband
4. The Umbrella Academy
5. Teenage Bounty Hunters
6. Mr. Peabody & Sherman
7. Unwell
8. Shameless
9. World's Most Wanted
10. The Seven Deadly Sins