Matt Damon is one of the most bankable stars and highest-grossing actors of all time. He rose to stardom in 1997 with Good Will Hunting, a film he co-wrote and starred in alongside his lifelong friend Ben Affleck. Their work earned them an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, while Damon was also nominated for Best Actor, launching him into Hollywood’s firmament.

From there, Damon quickly became a leading man with standout roles in The Talented Mr. Ripley, the Jason Bourne series, and Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s trilogy. He earned additional Oscar nominations for Invictus and The Martian. He’s also starred in Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the last of which is Damon’s highest-grossing film to date at $975 million.

Despite his many successes, Damon’s filmography is not without misfires. Green Zone, Promised Land, Downsizing, Suburbicon, and The Last Duel all bombed at the box office, reminding audiences that even the most bankable stars encounter commercial setbacks. Nevertheless, Damon’s enduring appeal lies in his willingness to balance risk with mainstream success.

The Great Wall Is Now Hitting The Streaming Charts

It Was Released 9 Years Ago

The Great Wall is now hitting the streaming charts nine years after its initial release. Directed by Zhang Yimou, the 2016 sci-fi epic stars Matt Damon as a European mercenary who is captured by imperial Chinese forces at the Great Wall while searching for gunpowder, and must team up with the Chinese army to fight off a mysterious alien menace.

In addition to Damon in the lead role, The Great Wall‘s cast also includes Pedro Pascal as a captured European mercenary alongside Jing Tian, Willem Dafoe, Andy Lau, Zhang Hanyu, Lu Han, Eddie Peng, Kenny Lin, Karry Wang, Zheng Kai, Huang Xuan, Cheney Chen, and Numan Acar.

Now, nine years after its release, Damon’s controversial sci-fi epic is hitting the streaming charts. The Great Wall ranks 10th on HBO Max’s Top 10 movies today, behind The Meg, Jaws vs. Mega Croc, A Minecraft Movie (Block Party Edition), I Love You Forever, and Black Mako of the Abyss.

Our Take On The Great Wall’s Streaming Success

It’s A Small Consolation Prize

The Great Wall hitting the streaming charts nine years later is a small consolation prize, considering it bombed at the box office at the time of its release, grossing $334 million against its $150 million budget and losing the studio up to $75 million. The Great Wall reviews were also mostly negative, criticizing the film for falling short of being as thrilling or enjoyably over-the-top as expected.

The Great Wall also caused controversy for casting Matt Damon in the lead role, which some perceived as whitewashing and a white savior narrative. Now, The Great Wall finding fleeting popularity on a streaming platform feels less like redemption and more like a faint digital echo of a misfire that once tried, and largely failed, to bridge cultures with spectacle instead of substance.

Source: HBO Max