‘Blue Beetle’ Delivers a Heroic Streaming Debut | Chart

Following its disappointing theatrical performance in August, Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Blue Beetle” soared to the top of the streaming charts. It became the #1 most-streamed film in the U.S. the weekend of Nov. 17-19 on Whip Media’s Movie Ranker, which is driven by viewership data from TV Time, a consumer app with over 28 million registered global users.

The superhero film features “Cobra Kai” star Xolo Maridueña in the titular role of Blue Beetle and is based on the DC character of the same name. It is one of the last installments in the DC Extended Universe, as Warner Bros. announced it would be replaced by the new DC Universe franchise.

Beyond having a similar name, the new franchise will keep certain cast members but change others, while also including continuity across various installments — much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Viewers can expect to see Maridueña return as Blue Beetle, as James Gunn, the creative head of DC Studios, announced he would make the leap to the new franchise but the movie itself would not be considered part of the canon.

The Netflix film “The Killer” slipped from its top spot last week but held strong at No. 2, while Universal Pictures’ “Five Nights at Freddy’s” stayed solid at No. 3 as well, marking its fourth week on the top 10.

Stand-up comedy special “Matt Rife: Natural Selection” earned No. 4 for Netflix, debuting as one of the top-watched titles for the platform. It wasn’t all laughs, however, as the comedian is facing backlash for a joke made about domestic violence during the special.

Netflix rom-com “No Hard Feelings,” starring Jennifer Lawrence, has continued to attract viewers, earning No. 5 this week. The film is now joined by other romantic comedies on the ranker: “Best. Christmas. Ever!” which is a Netflix original, as well as “EXmas,” a Freevee original. The two take No. 6 and No. 7, respectively, marking the beginning of the holiday movie season.

A newcomer to the ranker this week is the Peacock original movie “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain,” which was released Friday to mixed reviews. The film features a fictionalized version of the Please Don’t Destroy comedy troupe in a quest for a lost treasure they began searching for as kids. While originally slated for a theatrical release in August, Universal Pictures announced it would instead release the film as a Peacock exclusive.

Box office successes “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “A Haunting in Venice” both fell further on the ranker, placing No. 9 and No. 10, respectively, but continue to garner significant viewership among streaming audiences.

Nick Lorenzo is a client solutions specialist at Whip Media, a WrapPRO partner. Click here for more from Whip Media.

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