Adria Arjonais undoubtedly having a moment in 2025. After her breakout role inThe Belko Experiment, she had a rough go with projects with the likes ofPacific Rim: Uprising,Six Underground, andMorbius. Yet in 2025, she not only earned rave reviews for her role as Bix Callen inAndorSeason 2, but she has also becomea top fan choice to play Wonder Womanin James Gunn’s new DCU. However, it was the 2024 filmHit Man, directed by Richard Linklater and starring Hollywood’s new favorite leading man Glen Powell, that could be seen as a true turning point.
Hit Manfollows an undercover New Orleans police contractor played by Glenn Powell who poses as a reliable hitman, eventually leading him to cross paths with a woman who is trying to escape her abusive husband. The two begin a passionate romance that takes a dark, sinister turn in a movie that is one part dark comedy, one part rom-com, and all parts a classic Richard Linklater film. Despite the talent involved andHit Manearning a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film was never released in theaters. Instead, it was sent straight to Netflix and was likely unseen by many. It is disappointing thatHit Mannever got a theatrical release, but once Netflix bought it, fans knew it was not meant to be.
‘Hit Man’ Wasn’t Meant To Be a Streaming Film
Hit Manhad its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on August 16, 2025, with its North American premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) the following week. The film earned strong reviews from critics in attendance at the screenings, with a common praise being the film’s unique blend of dark comedy and romance. The premise would lend itself to the type of fun shared experience that makes comedies worth seeing on the big screen. Despite Richard Linklater shooting the film with the intention of it being released in theaters, Netflix acquired the rights to the film, and it all went south.
Netflix purchased the distribution rightstoHit Manfor $20 million, the biggest sale at the TIFF that year. Despite having star Glen Powell, who starred in the box office sensationTop Gun: Maverickthe year prior, Netflix opted not to capitalize on this potential box office boost. Instead, they did what they always do.Screen the film for a week in a limited number of theaters to meet the minimum requirement for Academy Award qualification, and then premiere the movie on their exclusive streaming service, which will be overshadowed by numerous other titles.
Why Netflix’s Hit Man Has Everyone Talking About One Scene
Directed by Richard Linklater and led by Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, one scene in Hit Man encapsulates moviemaking synergy at its finest.
Stars Glen Powell and Adria Arjona were set to have big years in 2024. Glen Powell was just coming off the surprise hit ofAnyone but You, andTwisterswould open one month afterHit Manhit Netflix, becoming a box office hit. Meanwhile, Arjona starred in the critically acclaimedLos Frikisand the buzzy dark comedyBlink Twice. Instead of trying to position these two as the next big stars and build off the buzz from these other projects,Netflix releasedHit Manon Netflix on June 23, 2025, with little to no fanfare.
Despite receiving strong reviews,Hit Man’s buzz waslargely overshadowed byBad Boys Ride or Die, which opened in theaters on the exact same day and provided the boost the box office needed following disappointing performances fromThe Fall Guy,Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, andGarfield the Movie. Netflix could have releasedHit Manin theaters and attempted to recoup some of their investment, but they chose not to.
Netflix’s Business Model Works Against Theaters
Netflix’s purchase ofHit Manis both the best thing and the worst thing that could have happened to it. With Netflix being the most easily watched streaming platform in the world, it is no doubt thatHit Manwas readily available to more people than ever. Now, the question is, did people actually tune in to watchHit Man, and if they did, were they fully watching it, or were they distracted by their phone?Netflix’s decision to acquire Hit Man made it accessible, but also more disposable.
Over the past two years, Disney has learned the value of releasing films in theaters before making them available on its streaming platforms.Lilo & Stitch,Moana 2, andAlien: Romuluswere all originally intended to be straight-to-streaming releases. However, when they were released in theaters, they became big box office hits, withLilo & Stitchrecently crossing the $1 billion mark. That is money that Disney was about to lose by investing in streaming releases, but has now recouped its investment and made a profit. Netflix, though, refuses to do that.
Before Glen Powell Was a Hit Man, He Was a Scream Queen
Before hitting it big in the rom-com Anyone But You and the romantic black comedy Hit Man, Glen Powell honed his comedic chops on Scream Queens.
Despite the success ofGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’s limited theatrical release, the streamer still balked at keeping it in theaters longer and kept it only for a week.Daniel Craig even criticized the Netflix business model.Instead of making more money, they would rather keep it behind a paywall, one that they need to continually increase because they are investing money without a direct line of profit. Greta Gerwig, the director of one of the biggest box office hits of all time withBarbie, appears to be locked in a battle with Netflix to secure a theatrical release for her upcoming reboot ofThe Chronicles of Narniain IMAX.
A movie likeHit Mancould have been well-received in theaters and generated a good profit for Netflix on their $20 million investment. We aren’t saying it would have blown the doors of the box office and become one of the highest-grossing films of 2024. However, the data did show that romantic comedies, such asGlen Powell’s ownAnyone but You, or films likeThe Lost CityandTicket to Paradise, had become moderate hits following the COVID-19 pandemic. As the theatrical industry faced a rough start to 2024,Hit Manlikely could have become a decent hit. It certainly would have made for a more intriguing Valentine’s Day release than Sony’sMadame Web.
It’s hard not to watchHit Manand think of what was lost, as it could have been a great movie to see in an audience full of people. A movie that combines comedy and sensual elements, showcasing cinema made for an adult audience, still has a place at the theater.
