Guy Ritchie’s action thriller Wrath of Man has climbed to the position of the second most-watched film on Starz globally. despite this massive international viewership, the Jason Statham-led movie remains unavailable to Starz subscribers within the United States.

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The 16-year hiatus between Revolver and Wrath of Man

The creative partnership between director Guy Ritchie and actor Jason Statham has long been a cornerstone of the action genre. Their collaboration dates back to the 1998 debut Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and includes hits like Snatch. However, as the report notes, the duo experienced a significant 16-year gap in their filmography between 2005's Revolver and the 2021 release of Wrath of Man.

This reunion proved to be a revitalizing moment for both artists, leading to subsequent collaborations such as 2023's Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre. The enduring chemistry between Ritchie and Statham continues to drive viewership, even as Ritchie expands his portfolio with other projects. The source highlights that 2026 has been a successful year for Ritchie on streaming, with projects like the spy thriller In The Grey starring Henry Cavill and Jake Gyllenhaal, and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare featuring Alan Ritchson, all contributing to his high profile.

Oman and the Middle Eastern Starz surge

Wrath of Man has achieved massive popularity across several international territories, specifically within the Middle East and Africa. According to the report, the film is currently trending on Starz in nine different countries, including Algeria, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In Oman,the film has even secured the number one spot on the service's most-watched list.

The film's global performance has allowed it to outpace several other high-profile releases on the platform. It has notably surpassed Alex Garland’s Civil War, the shark horror film Fear Below, and the Expendables installment Expend4bles. Currently,the only title standing above it on the Starz worldwide rankings is the Cuba Gooding Jr. spy thriller A Line of Fire.

The US streaming divide for Philo and AMC+ viewers

A significant disconnect exists between the film's global Starz success and its availability to American audiences . While the R-rated thriller is a top performer for Starz subscribers in many nations , it is not currently offered on the service within the United States. instead, domestic viewers must turn to Philo or AMC+ to access the movie.

This fragmentation of streaming rights highlights the complex nature of international content distribution. While Starz enjoys a massive hit with the Ritchie-Statham collaboration in markets like the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the US market remains partitioned. This leaves American fans of the genre in a position where they cannot access a trending global hit on the very platform that is driving its success in other territories.

The mystery of the Starz US licensing gap

Several questions remain regarding why Starz does not hold the domestic rights to a film that is performing so well for them internationally. It remains unclear whether this is a result of pre-existing licensing agreements with AMC+ or if the rights were sold to different entities in the North American market. furthermore, the report does not clarify if the current unavailability on Starz US is a permanent licensing decision or a temporary regional restriction.