Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune premiered exclusively in theaters on March 3, but its US streaming release date may not arrive as soon as expected. Operation Fortune is Amazon and Lionsgate’s new spy action comedy starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Hugh Grant, and Josh Hartnett, which was originally intended for a January 2022 premiere date before being delayed by a year. While Operation Fortune received mixed reviews from critics, holding a 52% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the film has been praised by audiences. Debuting in theaters alongside Creed III, Operation Fortune had a subpar opening weekend domestic box office performance, bringing in an estimated $3.1 million (via Box Office Mojo).
Available To Stream On Prime Video
Despite the film’s poor box office opening, Operation Fortune sets up potential sequels with its rag-tag team of spies. While there’s no word on whether Operation Fortune 2 will happen, this could change depending on how well it performs on streaming services. Since Lionsgate’s marketing for the film was notably weak, it could be an even bigger hit once it leaves theatrical exclusivity for a streaming release. Despite the fact that Operation Fortune’s box office hasn’t been strong and its international release strategy has been a mix of streaming and theatrical exclusivity, Guy Ritchie’s 2023 movie may not hit streaming services in the US for a while.
When & Where Operation Fortune Will Be Streaming Based On Other Lionsgate Movies
Operation Fortune has still yet to receive an official streaming release date in the US, despite releasing exclusively through Prime Video in the UK on April 7. However, the spy movie Operation Fortune may not hit Prime Video in the US, as Amazon only has distribution rights for the movie’s UK release. Rather, as a Lionsgate-distributed movie, Operation Fortune is expected to fall under the studio's Starz streaming release slate, which will be followed by an exclusive streaming window on either Peacock or The Roku Channel.
The late-2022 and early-2023 Lionsgate movies Clerks III, Alice, Darling, and Plane have yet to hit Starz for streaming. However, Lionsgate’s April 2022 film The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent was released on Starz in October 2022, suggesting the studio has a six-month delay for streaming premieres. If Operation Fortune follows this strategy, then the Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham movie could begin streaming on Starz in the US in September 2023.
Should Operation Fortune Have Been A Streaming Exclusive Movie?
Given the film’s lack of sufficient promotion, mixed reviews, subpar domestic box office opening, and April streaming release in the UK, Operation Fortune may have had a more successful run in the US with an exclusive streaming release. The film’s spy comedy premise and charming cast create the potential for a franchise future, but depending on a successful theatrical release may have been a mistake. Since the marketing for Operation Fortune wasn’t strong, the film could still break even at the box office by the end of its theatrical run, but isn’t likely to see box office numbers that justify a cinema-released sequel.
Had Operation Fortune been a streaming-exclusive movie on Prime Video in the US, similar to its UK release, the movie may have had a better opportunity to reach wider audiences without significant competition from massive franchise films like Creed III. If Operation Fortune is a streaming hit in the UK, then it could still be granted a sequel, but would likely be moved to streaming-only in the US. Operation Fortune is apt to see much greater success once it hits streaming services in the US and UK, suggesting this should have been its primary release strategy once it was delayed by over a year.
