Cameron Diaz’s Most Exciting Film Is Dominating Streaming
Cameron Diaz starred in Charlie's Angels, which is now dominating the streaming charts.
This article is more than 2 years old
Cameron Diaz became a sought-after actress after her breakout debut role in the 1994 Jim Carrey film The Mask. The actress has since been involved in numerous projects, including voicing the fan-favorite animated character, Princess Fiona, for Dreamwork’s Shrek. Perhaps one of the projects that Diaz is most known for is the adaptation of the television spy series Charlie’s Angels. Diaz starred alongside actresses Drew Barrymore and Lucy Lio, and the first film’s success helped spawn a sequel in 2003. While the female action flick is over 20 years old, fans will be delighted to know that they can stream both installments on HBO Max. Interestingly, the film is dominating on the charts, as it just reached number 9 this past week.
2000’s Charlie’s Angels and its sequel Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle is now available to stream for HBO Max subscribers. The first film, which was directed by McG, opened with an estimated $40.1 million in its opening weekend. It managed to dethrone the Ben Stiller comedy Meet The Parents for the number one spot at the box office. Although the film was financially successful, many critics thought it was a mixed bag. While some praised the hyper-energetic action sequences and the performances of Cameron Diaz and her two co-stars, others criticized the tongue-in-cheek tone and humor. The first film also included appearances from LL Cool J, Tim Curry, and Luke Wilson.
The second installment, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, was considered a box office disappointment when it first opened in theaters. The film underperformed its predecessor with $5 million, grossing $259 million worldwide with a budget of about $100 million. Legendary film critic, Robert Ebert, gave the film two and a half stars, which is higher than what he gave the first film. The sequel also received several Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress for Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz, Worst Screenplay, and more. Even the general audience had mixed feelings about the sequel, with the CinemaScore rating of B+.
While the original two Charlie’s Angels films aren’t regarded as the best action films ever, they managed to garner a strong fanbase to warrant a reboot in 2019. The film, which actress Elizabeth Banks directed, featured the likes of Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, Ella Balinska, Sam Claflin, and more. The reboot also received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising the earnest and energetic tone and others criticizing it for being uneven in places. Regarding box office, the film only managed to make $73.3 million worldwide. It was also considered Kristen Stewart’s return to blockbuster fare after taking an extended break after her turn as Bella Swan in the Twilight Films. Interestingly, director Elizabeth Banks thought about including Cameron Diaz and her co-stars as cameos, but ultimately, talks between all parties fizzled out.
As for Cameron Diaz, the actress announced she would take a break from acting after her 2014 family film, Annie. She stated in 2017 that she became tired of traveling for filming and wanted to settle down finally. She officially announced her retirement from acting in March of that year. However, the actress was confirmed to be making her return to acting in June 2022. She’ll star alongside her Annie co-star, Jamie Foxx, for the upcoming Netflix action-comedy Back in Action. Filming is set for late 2022.
The success of the old Charlie Angels films on the streamer may influence those in charge to add more Cameron Diaz movies to HBO Max. While the Shrek franchise would be an obvious pick, there is another action-comedy movie in which the actress was featured, called Knight and Day. The film saw the actress team up with another 1990s movie icon, Tom Cruise. Considering the interest in Diaz’s Charlie Angels and the success of Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick, Knight and Day may be a perfect addition to HBO Max right now.
HBO Max has been in the news lately for possibly being combined with Discovery+. However, the new CEO and President of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, reaffirmed to investors and the public that HBO Max isn’t going anywhere. The streaming service has been praised for its diverse catalog of movies, similar to the Netflix model. With the addition of the Charlie’s Angels films, it’ll be interesting to see what other female action films start popping up on the huge streamer. As of now, fans can enjoy one of Carmon Diaz’s most exciting films in her career anytime they want.
