Netflix subscribers are quickly running out of time to stream an obscure and little-watched comic book movie that has existed on the platform since 2022. The streaming giant is well-known for its massive catalog of content, a library of TV shows and movies that grows every month with near-daily arrivals. Unfortunately for users, monthly newsletters also bring exits, and November is about to add another departure to that list.
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On November 15th, R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned will stop streaming on Netflix, meaning subscribers have a limited number of hours left to watch the film. The movie premiered in 2022 as a direct-to-video follow-up to the critically panned Ryan Reynolds and Jeff Bridges-led R.I.P.D. Both films are based on Peter M. Lenkov and Lucas Marangon’s Dark Horse comic book of the same name, with R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned serving as a prequel to the original that explores the origin of the character Roy Pulsipher, portrayed by Jeffrey Donovan.
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned Was a Product of the First Film’s Failure
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned couldn’t escape the cloudy shadow cast by the original, a movie that was considered one of the biggest box office and critical flops of the year. Despite the original film’s star power and basis on existing material and fan base, it failed to make much of a splash at all and couldn’t recoup its high production costs, grossing just $78.3 million worldwide against a production budget estimated between $130 million and $154 million. It also flopped with critics and audiences, earning rotten critic and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes of just 13% and 38%.
When R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned came around, it seemed to be little more than Universal Pictures’ cost-effective means to utilize the intellectual property. The film was less of a financial risk with a cast that didn’t feature the major stars of the original and a straight-to-home-video release. The fact that it was released with little to no marketing meant it largely went unnoticed by general audiences. Whether that paid off is debated.
R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned didn’t generate enough reviews to earn a critic score, but its audience score sits at just 26% on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was overwhelmingly seen as a low-budget, low-quality sequel. It did make some improvements to the original, though, including not becoming the “green-screen nightmare” of the first. The movie prioritized special effects over poorly aged CGI. It also reimagined the story as a Western, the fresh setting offering more visual novelty and better aesthetics than the first.
Where to Stream R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned After It Leaves Netflix?
When R.I.P.D. 2: Rise of the Damned exits Netflix on November 15th, fans will be hard-pressed to find it in another streaming catalog. Netflix is currently the only streamer that features the film in its catalog, and it’s unclear if the movie will move to a different service. The film is available on VOD.
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