The Ides of March this year saw a competitive three-way race among renowned filmmakers, with original streaming film and TV series debuts on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. While Peter Farrelly, Doug Liman, and Guy Ritchie vied for viewers' attention, it was Netflix's Lindsay Lohan rom-com movie, 'Irish Wish,' that emerged as the sleeper success story of the week.
Among the high-profile releases, Guy Ritchie's 'The Gentlemen' made a notable debut on March 7, captivating audiences with its eight-episode TV heist drama. The series maintained its momentum in the second week, experiencing a modest 30% decline but still garnering 1.3 billion minutes watched during the March 15-21 period.
Doug Liman's 'Road House' remake, featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, premiered on Prime Video on March 21, accumulating a respectable 121.5 million minutes watched on its first day. Liman's decision to initially boycott the film's premiere at the SXSW festival due to the lack of a theatrical release generated buzz, although he eventually attended the event.
Netflix's highly anticipated drama series, '3 Body Problem,' debuted on March 21, amassing 62.6 million minutes watched across its eight episodes. Apple TV+'s star-studded series, 'Palm Royale,' featuring Kristen Wiig, Ricky Martin, and Josh Lucas, entered the scene at No. 36, with 63 million minutes viewed since its release on March 20.
Meanwhile, Peter Farrelly's comedy film, 'Ricky Stanicky,' starring Zac Efron, John Cena, and William H. Macy, experienced a significant 56% drop in viewership in its second week, accumulating 239.5 million minutes watched since its release on Prime Video on March 7.
'Irish Wish,' directed by Janeen Damian, took viewers on a romantic journey set in the lush landscapes of Ireland. The 93-minute film, released on March 15, captured hearts and screens, amassing an impressive 698.8 million minutes watched in its debut week.
Looking beyond the top 10 original movies, several titles experienced triple-digit increases in viewership. Paramount+'s 'Little Wing' saw a 258% surge, while Netflix's 'A Jazzman's Blues' and 'A Tourist's Guide to Love' gained 378% and 124%, respectively. Netflix's 'True Spirit' also soared by 249% in viewership.
In the realm of TV series, Peacock's 'Apples Never Fall,' starring Annette Bening and Sam Neill, made a significant impact, securing the No. 5 spot with 300.9 million minutes viewed, marking a remarkable 1,947% increase from its debut day.
Netflix's Spanish-language drama series, 'Bandidos,' and the Dick Wolf-produced docu-series, 'Homicide: New York,' also garnered attention, with 'Bandidos' experiencing a 304.1% increase in viewership and 'Homicide: New York' amassing 183.3 million minutes watched after two days.
Noteworthy shifts were observed in the TV series landscape, with the acclaimed comedy series 'Girls5eva' making a splash as it transitioned to Netflix from Peacock, resulting in a 968% week-to-week gain in viewership for its first season.
