Despite only just dropping in theaters in the U.S., the latest Shaft film has already been released on Netflix in the U.K. The original Shaft from 1971 is considered a classic of the blaxploitation genre, thanks to the ice-cool performance by Richard Roundtree in the title role and a super funky soundtrack by the late Isaac Hayes. The film’s success led to two sequels - Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft In Africa - and a high-profile sequel/reboot in 2000 starring Samuel L. Jackson. The movie revealed Jackson’s character is actually the nephew of Roundtree’s Shaft, who reprised his role in a couple of scenes.
A new reboot/sequel hybrid was reported back in 2015, with confirmation that a film was officially in the works emerging two years later. Initially referred to as Son of Shaft, Tim Story (Ride Along) signed on to direct. Both Jackson and Roundtree attached themselves to reprise their roles, while Jessie T. Usher was cast as the latest branch in their iconic family tree. The rest of the cast was filled out by Regina Hall (The Hate U Give) and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix). Reunited with a son vastly different from himself, the unorthodox detective is tasked with helping him track down his best friend's killer.
Shaft is now officially available for streaming in the UK, billed as a Netflix Original. There was little word that British fans could expect this, similar to how Cloverfield Paradox enjoyed a surprise release. The move is also similar to how France released Booksmart during its US theatrical release. It's too soon, however, to know just how the film will fare in terms of ratings on the platform.
As one of the busiest and most prolific actors working today, Jackson has a lot of projects in various stages of development, and he'll next be seen on the big screen in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Reprising his long-standing role as super-spy Nick Fury, he'll hijack Peter Parker's European vacation and partner him with Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio in order to save the world from The Elementals. He will also return for The Hitman’s Wife's Bodyguard, a sequel to the surprise 2017 hit also starring Deadpool's Ryan Reynolds.
News of the release will no doubt be met with a conflicted response, especially regarding what led to this decision. For some, it's believed that such spontaneous releases are a sign of poor faith in the film and that studios don't deem it fit for worldwide release. The reactions regarding the aforementioned Cloverfield Paradox certainly lent weight to that idea, and it is true that Shaft has been met with a flurry of negative reviews. Then again, it could be that Netflix saw potential and went out of their way to secure international rights, as they have been increasingly attempting to do recently. Through Netflix, Shaft might accumulate an audience it wouldn't have otherwise received in theaters. As seen in the latest Adam Sandler vehicle, Murder Mystery, which was reportedly watched by over 30 million in its first three days. Whatever the case, though, British fans will no doubt be pleased that they can avoid spending money on a full price ticket.
Source: Netflix UK