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After starring in hits likeTop Gun: MaverickandAnyone But You,Glen Powell is set to return to the screen with the upcoming romantic action comedy filmHit Man. The film, which had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, received critical acclaim. It is now set to release on the streaming platform Netflix in the coming weeks followed by its limited theatrical run.
While the film was finally acquired by the streaming giant and landed a limited theatrical release, the journey to the silver screen was not without challenges as the director of the film Richard Linklater has recently revealed that despite its positive reception, the studios seemed skeptical of acquiring the movie.
Glen Powell’sHit ManFaced Skepticism Despite Positive Reception
In a recent conversation withTexas Monthly, filmmaker Richard Linklater shared how his new film, starring Glen Powell andAdria Arjona, faced skepticism from the studios despite receiving an overwhelming response following its world premiere.
While addressing that Netflix acquired the movie for $20 million, he shared that any other studio could have bought the film, but they chose to overlook it.“The studios could have had it,”he said before adding,
But despite the overwhelming audience and critical response, they just acted like they weren’t totally convinced. It’s a weird time in our industry—not as good as it once was, put it like that.
However, unlike studios, the streaming giant Netflix emerged as the film’s savior with an enthusiastic commitment to the project.“Netflix was the company that stepped up with the right attitude, like, “Hey, we love this film, and we want to ensure everybody sees it,”Linklater said.
Last week, the film was released in select theatres and is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on June 24, 2025. Linklater expressed his hopes for people to see the film in theatres. However, he also noted the downside of a limited theatrical release, saying,
I also know that by the time a lot of them hear about the movie, it will be out of theaters.
Hit Man Director Richard Linklater Thinks Glen Powell Can Match Leonardo DiCaprio Hollywood Success if He Does One Thing
Hit Manfollows a professor who discovers a talent for posing as a fake hitman in undercover police stings. However, things take an unexpected turn after he falls for a woman, who hires him to kill her husband, and gets entangled in her deadly scheme.
Glen Powell on Navigating Hollywood’s Rejection ofHit Man
Along with starring in the movie,Glen Powellhas significantly contributed to the film’s screenplay as well. Filmmaker Richard Linklater has shared how Powell reached out to him about the Texas Monthly article that the film is based on.
In a conversation withCollider, theDevotionstar also reflected on the rejections the film received from the industry. He shared that they were quite optimistic about the film and were surprised after facing several rejections.
“It actually got kind of physical”: Glen Powell Became ‘Expendable’ When Top Gun Star Got Punched in the Face for No Fault of His Own
“We actually took this thing out, and everybody said no,”he said before adding,“We were kind of confused because we thought, ‘This movie is awesome; we loved writing it.'”However, the challenges taught him the importance of trusting his instincts, even in the face of industry uncertainty.
Hit Manis playing in selected theatres and will premiere on Netflix on August 11, 2025.
Laxmi Rajput
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3449
Laxmi Rajput is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, with over 3,300 articles published covering film, TV, and pop culture. With a degree in Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in content writing, she pivoted to entertainment journalism because let’s be honest, superheroes, sitcoms, and Netflix binges are way more fun. Laxmi frequently covers Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and popular TV shows, offering both fan-first enthusiasm and thoughtful analysis. Her work often dives into Marvel theories, revisits the genius of The Big Bang Theory, or unpacks the Netflix phenomenon of Stranger Things.
