Samuel L. Jackson’s action thriller SWATmore than two decades after its release, a new audience is finding streaming platforms.
The 2003 film has shot up into the top five titles on free streaming platform Tubi, and recently landed at No. 4 on the service’s trending chart, proving that classic action movies can still attract great interest years later.
Published in the summer of 2003, SWAT starred Jackson as LAPD veteran Sgt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson with Colin Farrell who played Officer Jim Street.
The film marked a big-screen adaptation of the original Aaron Spelling-produced television series that debuted in 1975, shortly after the LAPD formed its real-life Special Weapons and Tactics unit.
While the original show only ran for two seasons before being canceled due to growing concerns about violence on television, its influence remained there for decades.
Plans for a film adaptation emerged in the late 1990s, with several high-profile directors attached at various stages.
The film was ultimately the directorial debut of actor Clark Johnson, with a screenplay written by David Ayer and David McKenna.
The film also starred Jeremy Renner, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Brian Van Holt and Olivier Martinez.
Made on a reported $70 million budget, SWAT went on to gross $207 million worldwide, delivering a solid box office performance despite mixed critical reception and a 48% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Its financial success led to two sequels released in 2011 and 2017, neither of which featured the original cast.
The franchise later returned to television in 2017, with Shemar Moore stepping into the role of Hondo for a CBS reboot that ran for eight seasons.
A new spin-off, SWAT: Exileis also under development.
Now, with its renewed popularity on Tubi, SWAT reminding viewers why Samuel L. Jackson’s commanding presence and the film’s action gameplay still resonate, even 23 years after its debut.
