Kurt Russell is a certifiable film legend; the actor has nearly 100 movie and television credits to his name. But, decades of showbiz experience aside, it seems that his latest release is his biggest to date. The film, which is called, The Christmas Chronicles, actually scored his most-viewed opening ever!
How do we know this? Well, according to Netflix, the studio and streaming service that produced the flick, an estimated 20 million viewers tuned in to watch The Christmas Chronicles in the first week alone! How’s that for a successful opening?
While at a presentation at the UBS’s 2018 Global Media and Communications Conference in New York, Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s content chief, was quoted as saying that Russell had “never had as many people see one of his movies in the first week ever.”
The plotline of the movie, which was directed by Clay Kaytis, follows a brother and sister who must do their best to “save Christmas” after colliding into Santa’s sleigh. Russell stars alongside Oliver Hudson, his real-life stepson, and son of his longtime partner, Goldie Hawn.
Ostensibly, this major opening means big things for both the studio, Netflix, and for holiday movies, in general. While, holiday-themed films have never gone out of style, in recent years, traditional studios haven’t paid them as much attention as they had in decades prior. Lucky for holiday-loving audiences, though, streaming services and cable TV channels have filled the gap by providing audiences with jam-packed holiday schedules.
Recently, we told you all about Netflix’s secret codes that allow subscribers to unlock a library filled with Christmas movies, spanning a whopping 12 categories. How cool is that?!
But, don’t get too caught up in the Netflix game–your good, old-fashioned TV is also a great place to get your Christmas fix. Freeform has a daily lineup that is chockfull of new and old holiday films. And, of course, Hallmark is carrying on its tradition by debuting a handful of new holiday film classics.
But, all of the viewing options aside, who would have thought that one of Kurt Russell’s biggest films to date would be a Netflix holiday original?! To learn more about The Christmas Chronicles, and to see an exclusive preview of the movie, be sure to watch the video below. It’s time to make room for another holiday favorite!
We’d love to hear your thoughts on Russell’s biggest film opening to date. Are you surprised that this film has done so well? Have you watched The Christmas Chronicles? If so, are you a fan of the movie?