Historically, summer is the time of year studios release their biggest tentpoles looking to make a splash at the box office. The past couple of months have been par for the course, as the likes of Lilo & Stitch, F1, and Jurassic World Rebirth have all become sizable hits. But just because there’s plenty to check out at the theater doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of options to watch at home. Streamers are constantly adding new movies and shows to their vast libraries, looking to make a different kind of splash in living rooms. Prime Video recently released one such film that’s proven to be a massive hit.
The title in question is Heads of State, the new action-comedy starring John Cena and Idris Elba. According to data from FlixPatrol (which measures popularity on various streaming services), Heads of State has been the No. 1 movie on Amazon Prime for the past week, beating out the likes of The Accountant 2, A Knight’s War, and How to Train Your Dragon 2. Heads of State is currently the second most-popular project on Prime overall, behind only the TV series Countdown, which debuted in late June and has been releasing new episodes weekly.
Heads of State reunites The Suicide Squad co-stars Cena and Elba for a different kind of action experience. In the film, Cena plays Will Derringer, a former movie star who now serves as the United States President. Elba portrays British Prime Minister Sam Clarke. The two don’t see eye to eye, but after surviving an attack, they’re forced to work together to thwart a deadly terrorist operation.
Directed by Nobody helmsman Ilya Naishuller, Heads of State earned generally positive reviews upon hitting Prime Video on July 2nd. Critics praised the chemistry between the two headlining stars, considering the movie to be an entertaining watch featuring some exciting action sequences. Priyanka Chopra, who plays MI6 agent Noelle Bisset, also earned high marks for her performance.
Amazon promoted Heads of State, releasing a couple of trailers leading up to the film’s debut. However, the film arguably didn’t receive the most extensive marketing campaign. That strategy might have been a byproduct of the fact that Heads of State didn’t play in movie theaters. It went straight to Prime, meaning Amazon didn’t need to try to boost box office tracking. The studio seemingly hoped Heads of State caught people’s eyes as they binge-watched a show, and it has. Even though the film came out over a busy holiday weekend and could have easily gotten lost in the shuffle, viewers took the time to check it out.
Heads of State might not have been as successful if it did receive a traditional theatrical release. Even with the presence of Cena and Elba, it’s the kind of light action fare that could slip under the radar amidst a new Jurassic World movie and upcoming superhero blockbusters like Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Prime Video was the perfect outlet for a project like this, and it’ll be interesting to see if Heads of State launches a new franchise for the streamer.
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