Director Guy Ritchie hasn’t had a hit theatrical film since Wrath of Man five years ago. The movie was released in the wake of his top-grossing hit ever, the live-action Aladdin remake from 2019. Aladdin grossed more than $1 billion worldwide thanks to positive word-of-mouth, but the promised sequel hasn’t materialized. In the seven years since Aladdin‘s success, Ritchie has directed a handful of movies that were positioned as possible franchise-starters. However, none has come close to finding box-office success. The prolific filmmaker has recently turned his focus to streaming, having executive produced three shows and directed a big-budget feature film.
Like Aladdin, Ritchie’s streaming movie was viewed as the beginning of a new franchise. But there has been no official word yet on whether one will be produced. The film was released in 2025, on the heels of theatrical underperformers such as The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Covenant, and Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. It featured John Krasinski in the lead role alongside Natalie Portman, Eiza González, Domhnall Gleeson, and others. The film opened to poor reviews, but it appears to have struck a chord with fans, going by its excellent performance on Apple TV.
Guy Ritchie’s Action-Adventure Movie Has Defied Poor Reviews
We’re talking, of course, about Fountain of Youth. The film combined the supernatural-tinged spectacle of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with the historical intrigue of the National Treasure and Indiana Jones movies. Fountain of Youth reportedly cost $180 million to produce, making it Ritchie’s second-most-expensive movie behind Aladdin. It now holds a 35% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the consensus reads, “Despite its glossy production and some impressive set pieces, Fountain of Youth can’t overcome a derivative and uninspired story that fails to capture the creativity of the countless action-adventure flicks it cribs from.”
According to FlixPatrol, Fountain of Youth has spent more than 300 days on the domestic Apple TV chart since its release. Ritchie remains a major draw, especially at home, and many of his films tend to find their audience after landing on the PVOD market. The filmmaker is now gearing up for the release of In the Grey, which will debut theatrically five days before Krasinski’s Jack Ryan movie premieres on Prime Video on May 20.
Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
- Release Date
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May 19, 2025
- Runtime
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126 minutes
