Denzel Washington‘s fans got to experience him in classic form recently in Spike Lee‘s Highest 2 Lowest. The crime thriller has been dominating the Apple TV+ charts ever since its release. It marked Washington’s first collaboration with Lee since Inside Man, which was released nearly two decades ago. During this time, Washington cemented himself as perhaps one of the last remaining male movie stars, with a proper action franchise to his name. But he has also consistently delivered original big screen dramas aimed at adult audiences. His 2012 movie Flight belongs to a dying breed. Now, a new set of audiences will experience just how different the moviemaking landscape was only a few years ago, as Flight lands on a new streaming home.
Beginning October 1, the film will be available to watch on Tubi. Flight follows Washington’s alcoholic pilot, who is put under the scanner after he miraculously lands a malfunctioning airliner despite being drunk. The movie also featured Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly, and John Goodman in a particularly colorful supporting role. However, Flight was also notable for being director Robert Zemeckis‘ long-awaited return to live-action filmmaking, after an extended detour into the world of motion capture. During this time, Zemeckis made movies such as The Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol, none of which have aged all that well.
Produced on a reported budget of around $30 million, Flight grossed over $160 million at the global box office. It earned positive reviews, and is currently sitting at a “certified fresh” 77% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Robert Zemeckis makes a triumphant return to live-action cinema with Flight, a thoughtful and provocative character study propelled by a compelling performance from Denzel Washington.” Somewhat surprisingly, however, Zemeckis returned to the world of digital wizardry not long afterward. His last film was the box office dud Here, which made just over $10 million on a reported budget of $50 million.
Washington Is Circling a Major Role Next
Washington is now circling a major role in Ryan Coogler‘s Black Panther 3, which hasn’t yet been officially announced. This would mark the great actor’s first comic book role, although he did star alongside Mark Wahlberg in the largely forgotten comic book adaptation 2 Guns. He’s also been busy as a producer, continuing his passion project to adapt as many August Wilson plays as possible.
You can watch Flight on Tubi beginning October 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
