The $302M Fantasy Movie Sequel That Killed Its Franchise Is a Netflix Hit, 14 Years Later

The record-breaking success of Avatar kicked off a new era of 3D blockbusters; in an effort to capitalize on the trend, it became common for studios to post-convert their upcoming films to 3D. One of the earliest examples of this was Clash of the Titans, which premiered just a few short months after Avatar. Its release was perfectly timed, as it was another big-budget 3D tentpole starring Sam Worthington. Despite negative reviews, Clash of the Titans was a box office success, paving the way for sequel Wrath of the Titans in 2012. Unfortunately, the follow-up saw diminishing returns and ended the burgeoning franchise, but now Wrath of the Titans is finding an audience on streaming.

For the week of February 16th-22nd, Wrath of the Titans was the ninth-most-watched movie on Netflix globally. During that time, it accumulated 2.8 million views and was streamed for a total of 4.6 million hours, narrowly edging out Rumble for its spot on the chart. This was Wrath of the Titans‘ second week ranking in Netflix’s top 10.

Wrath of the Titans‘ Poor Performance Ended the Franchise

Clash of the Titans was no critical darling, but it managed to earn $493.2 million worldwide against a $125 million production budget. That gave Warner Bros. the confidence to green light a sequel, but audiences started to lose interest in the series. Not only was Wrath of the Titans worse-received than its predecessor (26% Rotten Tomatoes score), it grossed just $302 million globally against a $150 million budget. While the sequel boasted impressive visual effects and action sequences, just about every other aspect was considered underwhelming. Liam Neeson even earned a Razzie nomination for Worst Supporting Actor.

It perhaps isn’t surprising that Wrath of the Titans disappointed. Clash of the Titans got by on its novelty. 3D was the latest craze, and the prospect of seeing large-scale fantasy battles on the big screen was tantalizing. But much like Wrath, Clash of the Titans didn’t do itself any favors in the storytelling department and failed to truly resonate with audiences on a level beyond the visuals and the “Release the Kraken” meme. By the time Wrath of the Titans rolled around, most viewers had moved on. If Clash of the Titans had been better received, then perhaps this could have been the next big fantasy series. As it stands, Wrath of the Titans performed so poorly it ended the franchise; plans for a third installment called Revenge of the Titans were scrapped.

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Even with Worthington continuing to lead blockbuster Avatar movies, it’s unlikely his iteration of Clash of the Titans will ever be revived. Still, it’s nice to see Wrath of the Titans finally catch on with audiences after all these years. It’s the kind of film that’s almost tailor-made to perform well on streaming. Often, box office duds become hits at home simply because it’s easier for people to take a chance on something when all they have to do is push play. Wrath of the Titans is also more noteworthy for its visual effects and battle sequences than compelling plot, so the film is something Netflix subscribers can have on in the background while winding down after a long day, looking up to pay more attention when the fighting starts.

It will be interesting to see if WB ever decides to attempt to reboot Clash of the Titans again. The recent streaming success of Wrath of the Titans demonstrates there’s an audience for this kind of material, but if the IP is to see the light of day again, it would have to be from a filmmaking team with a clear, distinct vision that significantly raises the level of quality from the 2010s series. If WB is going to invest the amount of resources necessary to make a new Clash of the Titans movie, they’d want a relaunch to launch a new franchise, but it may not be a priority for them at this time. At least those interested in watching clashing titans on screen have easy access to Worthington’s films.

Wrath of the Titans is currently not streaming on Netflix in the United States. It is only available on the platform in international territories. American viewers who want to watch the film can rent or purchase it on PVOD stores such as Apple and Amazon.

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