A Ryan Reynolds film that the star himself called a “disaster” for years has stormed the Netflix charts, despite it being more than a decade since its release.
This inexplicable increase in viewership also comes as the build-up to Christmas intensifies, with films like The Holiday, Family Switch and various versions of The Grinch also dominating the list.
The actor who later found success with two Deadpool films, with another in the works, has consistently ridiculed this 2011 project, which also stars his now wife Blake Lively, since its release.
He seems to be right, regardless of the newfound success, as the film has a dismal 25 percent rating on television. Rotten tomatoesalbeit with a less embarrassing 45 percent rating from users rather than critics.
A film that Ryan Reynolds has consistently derided as a 'disaster' since he starred in 2011 has inexplicably risen to eighth place in Britain's most popular films on Netflix.
Reynolds is joined in the Marvel flop by his current wife Blake Lively. Pictured: the couple at the 2011 MTV Movie Awards
British viewers have a bizarre fondness for Green Lantern 12 years after its debut, despite its poor critical reception
But 12 years later, British viewers have a bizarre fondness for Green Lantern as it rose to eighth place in the country's Netflix top 10 from December 4 to 10, after being in the top five on individual days that week .
The film, directed by Martin Campbell, stars Reynolds as the DC superhero, but became one of the biggest flops in box office history, grossing just $219 million (£182 million) from a $200 million budget ( £166 million), on top of its scathing reviews.
Reynolds plays the first human to join the Green Lantern Corps, but suddenly becomes the unit's only hope to defeat a new enemy called Parallax.
Since its release, the leading man has repeatedly acknowledged that the film was a disaster, and recently admitted that it was “the only way to somewhat come to terms with the film” when addressing the Just For Laughs comedy festival in London in March.
He told Rob Delaney and the O2 audience: 'There were just too many people spending too much money and if there was a problem, instead of saying, “Okay, let's stop spending on special effects and let's thinking about character.”
'The thinking was never there to do that, and to their credit it is a very old-fashioned way of looking at things. It's just, “Let's keep working through this.” And that was… it didn't work.
'At the same time there were 185 people working on that film, they all had a great time, we had a great time shooting it. Shooting the film was really fun. But you know, sitting at that premiere and watching it…oh my God, it's tough.
'The words were 'holy s***' and 'no, no!'
'It was crazy. It was a strange feeling. It wasn't a feeling I wanted to repeat. So over the next few years I really took ownership as much as I could, it was the only way to kind of process it.”
And Reynolds isn't the only Green Lantern star to react in such a way in the years since its release.
In 2014, Taika Waititi told Ny Breaking Australia: 'When I was a part of it and read the script and saw how it all came together, I wasn't really surprised at how it was received.
“A classic example was when we were blocking a scene and I said, 'I have one line and it's not really necessary to the story and it doesn't advance the scene, it was just a suggestion but maybe I shouldn't be in this scene to sit. ?”
“They said, 'Shut up Taika, just say what you're saying and do the scene,' and I said okay, and literally sat there doing nothing and was like, 'What the hell am I doing in this movie?' '
Reynolds isn't the only Green Lantern star to have reacted in such a way in the years since its release. In 2014, Taika Waititi (left) said: 'I wasn't really surprised by the way it was received'
Both Waititi and Reynolds joked together about their roles in the film in 2020 when they reunited in Free Guy.
“I've never met him,” Reynolds replied when asked by Total Film Magazine about an on-screen reunion with the New Zealander.
'What is the project you are talking about? I've never heard of it… Green… what?' he was terrified.
Reynolds' slamming of the score even extends to cameos in his other projects.
Midway through the credits of Deadpool 2 (2018), Reynolds is seen holding a wad of paper and saying, “Goddamn, that's beautiful.”
He is then revealed to be holding the Green Lantern script, before the more successful Reynolds superhero shoots his likeness and proclaims, “You're welcome Canada.”
This means that Reynolds is implying that he has disgraced his entire nation for starring as the Canadian lead in the Hollywood bombshell.
Some of those who watched the film, inspired by its high chart positions, were also surprised to see it there
So it seems safe to say that they would probably be surprised by the British Renaissance, and so were many of those who watched it.
One told
Others added: 'Hey @VancityReynolds, could it be a Christmas miracle? Green Lantern is number 4 in the Netflix top 10 films in Great Britain. Can it reach number 1?…
'Yoo @VancityReynolds Green Lantern trending at number 4 on UK Netflix…it's not that bad of a movie!'
It couldn't quite reach number one on the charts, but perhaps the distance has made the heart flutter, if only just a little, more when it comes to movie fans' perception of Reynolds' major career regret.