Denzel Washington’s Thrilling $130M Adaptation Dominates Netflix’s Top Charts Two Decades Later

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Denzel Washington’s thrilling action movie, originally released in 2004, is now one of the top 10 most popular films on Netflix. Directed by Tony Scott and based on the A.J. Quinnell novel of the same name, it’s considered a classic in Washington’s action film career.

The movie Man on Fire is gaining popularity again, currently ranking as the second most-watched film on Netflix in the U.S. It’s just behind Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrant Story, but ahead of other popular titles like Pitch Perfect 2, Wrath of Man, and Ford v Ferrari.

Denzel Washington stars as John W. Creasy, a retired CIA operative who seeks brutal revenge when the family he’s protecting is attacked. The film also features Dakota Fanning and Christopher Walken. While critics generally didn’t like Man on Fire (Rotten Tomatoes score of 39%), audiences enjoyed it much more, giving it an 89% rating on the Popcornmeter.

Okay, so Man on Fire didn’t exactly set the box office on fire – it made around $130 million with a $70 million budget, which wasn’t a huge win in theaters. But honestly, it’s become a real favorite for home viewing, and I totally get why. Tony Scott’s direction is so stylish, Denzel Washington is just incredible, and the action is really something else – it pushed some limits back then, and it still holds up today. That’s why I keep rewatching it!

While Denzel Washington had done action roles before, Man on Fire was really the film that established his image as an action star. He later worked with the same director on Deja Vu (2006), but it wasn’t until the early 2010s that he fully committed to making action movies a significant part of his career.

I’ve always been captivated by Denzel Washington’s ability to portray such powerfully restrained characters, and that really shines through in his action roles. Films like The Book of Eli, Safe House, 2 Guns, and especially The Equalizer all showcase him as this incredibly calm, yet undeniably dangerous figure – a hero you definitely don’t want to cross! While a sequel to Man on Fire sadly never materialized, and it didn’t launch into a full franchise like The Equalizer did, it’s still one of my favorites of his – a real standout performance.

Netflix is developing a new TV series based on Quinnell’s novel, previously adapted into films in 1987 and 2004. This version, titled Man on Fire, will star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Creasy. Kyle Killen will oversee the show as showrunner, and Steven Caple Jr. is directing the first two episodes.

While we don’t have a confirmed release date yet, the new Man on Fire series is currently slated for 2026. In the meantime, fans are happily re-experiencing Scott’s version of the story.

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2026-01-02 21:59