Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis Teamed Up for ‘Due Date,’ Which is Now a Streaming Hit

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In November 2010, the film “Due Date” premiered, with both Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis enjoying great success. The films “Iron Man” (2008) and “Iron Man 2” (2010) had been blockbusters, propelling Downey Jr.’s career to new heights. Meanwhile, Galifianakis was still riding the wave of popularity from “The Hangover,” and his star was on the rise. With Todd Phillips, director of “The Hangover,” at the helm of “Due Date,” it seemed destined for success. And indeed, though its box office performance was modest, it achieved that success to some degree.

On a production budget of $65 million (excluding marketing expenses), the movie “Due Date” managed to gross only $211 million globally, with roughly equal splits between domestic and international earnings. One potential reason for its underperformance might have been its release coinciding with the success of another film, “Megamind.” Additionally, the overall reception was not favorable. To put it simply, both critics and audiences showed little enthusiasm towards this movie, as reflected in Rotten Tomatoes’ ratings – 39% from critics and 52% from the audience. The film opened weakly with $32.6 million in North America but managed to last long enough to surpass the $100 million mark.

The movie has taken on a minor role, but surprisingly, almost 15 years after its release, Due Date has climbed high on Netflix’s rankings, reaching the fourth spot in their Top 10.

Although it might have been forgotten over the years, Due Date, released nearly 15 years ago, has unexpectedly found a resurgence, ranking number four on Netflix’s Top 10 list.

This comedy, often overlooked, centers around Peter Highman (Downey Jr.), a successful but tense architect. He’s in a hurry to reach Los Angeles for his wife Michelle Monaghan’s childbirth. An unexpected incident at the airport with wannabe actor Ethan Tremblay (Galifianakis) sets them off on an unplanned road trip to LA together.

It’s funnier than it might initially seem, with Phillips delivering a commendable performance. Notably, he also directed the comedies “Road Trip” (2000) and “Old School” (2003), and interestingly enough, Juliette Lewis featured in both movies, portraying the character Heidi on both occasions.

Despite being somewhat predictable and chaotic at times, the movie appears to have retained its charm over the years. Recent viewer feedback on Rotten Tomatoes suggests that it offers plenty of humor, with Galifianakis and Downey Jr.’s interactions in particular proving particularly amusing. It’s definitely worth giving a try.

What’s Next for Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, and Todd Phillips?

It’s common knowledge that Robert Downey Jr.’s upcoming movie is titled “Avengers: Doomsday.” This was revealed with his unexpected role as Doctor Doom, which he showcased at the 2024 San Diego Comic Con. The film boasts a star-studded cast including many Avengers, as well as The Fantastic Four and more. Filming begins in March of 2025 in the United Kingdom, with a scheduled release on May 1, 2026. A year after that, on May 7, “Avengers: Secret Wars” is set to premiere. Downey Jr. appears in both films, which will be directed by the Russo brothers, long-time directors at Marvel Studios.

Currently, Galifianakis is contributing his voice to various movies and TV series such as “Tooned Out” and “Only Murders in the Building” alongside Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. His next appearance will be in the live-action remake of “Lilo & Stitch“, scheduled for release on May 23, 2025.

In the end, Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker” was both a commercial and critical triumph, earning lead actor Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar. Conversely, its sequel, “Joker: Madness for Two,” was met with negative reviews and poor box office performance. As of now, there’s no news about another project, but he did hint that he’s finished making comic book movies.

Due Date is currently streaming on Netflix.

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2025-01-10 15:33