Samuel L. Jackson’s action thriller S.W.A.T., more than two decades after its release, is finding a fresh audience streaming platforms.
The 2003 film has shot up into the top five titles on free streaming platform Tubi, recently landing at No. 4 on the service’s trending chart, proving that classic action movies can still pull strong interest years later.
Released in the summer of 2003, S.W.A.T. starred Jackson as LAPD veteran Sgt. Dan “Hondo” Harrelson alongside Colin Farrell, who played officer Jim Street.
The movie marked a big-screen adaptation of the original Aaron Spelling-produced TV 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 cancelled amid growing concerns about violence on TV, its influence stayed there for decades.
Plans for a movie adaptation surfaced in the late 1990s, with several high-profile directors linked at different stages.
The film ultimately became the feature directorial debut of actor Clark Johnson, with a script written by David Ayer and David McKenna.
The film also featured Jeremy Renner, Michelle Rodriguez, LL Cool J, Josh Charles, Brian Van Holt, and Olivier Martinez.
Made on a reported $70 million budget, S.W.A.T. 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, with none of them having 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, S.W.A.T.: Exiles, is also in development.
Now, with its renewed popularity on Tubi, S.W.A.T. is reminding viewers why Samuel L. Jackson’s commanding presence and the film’s high-stakes action still resonate, even 23 years after its debut.
