The Disney+ chart is being dominated by R-rated movies. The streaming service, which launched in late 2019, contains content owned and produced by Disney and its various brands, including 20th Century Studios, Marvel Studios, Pixar, National Geographic, and Lucasfilm. However, when it initially debuted, no R-rated content was available on the platform. This policy eventually changed due to a variety of factors, including the streamer’s acquisition of the Marvel series that were originally developed for Netflix, including Daredevil and The Punisher.
The presence of these shows caused Disney+ to launch a system of parental controls that separated children’s profiles from adult profiles, limiting their library on the former. While recent Disney+ original shows and movies, which include the show Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and the musical Descendants: The Rise of Red are still focused on the family audience, adult profiles have access to a broader variety of material, including R-rated and TV-MA titles that were developed for their partner streaming service Hulu.
Deadpool & Wolverine Leads The Charge Of R-Rated Movies On Disney+
Two Other R-Rated Movies Are Charting
Now, the R-rated movies Deadpool & Wolverine, John Wick, and Nightbitch have all charted on Disney+ simultaneously. Deadpool & Wolverine, which is a crossover follow-up to both Deadpool 2 and Logan, is the first R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, and was a smash hit. 2014’s John Wick is a Keanu Reeves gun fu action epic that launched a massive multimedia franchise, while Nightbitch is a 2024 adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s metaphorical horror novel about the trials of motherhood starring Amy Adams and directed by Marielle Heller.
Deadpool & Wolverine grossed $1.338 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time and the second highest-grossing movie of 2024 behind Inside Out 2.
On the Disney+ daily Top 10 chart for adult profiles in the U.S. as of January 3, Deadpool & Wolverine topped the chart, even though it has been streaming on the platform since mid-November. Meanwhile, John Wick has taken No. 5, separated from the top by Paddington, Skeleton Crew, and 2019’s The Lion King. Nightbitch has come in at No. 6, beating out the family-friendly titles Dream Productions, Mufasa: The Lion King – A Special Look, and The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, as well as the PG-13 title Amber Alert.
Our Take On The R-Rated Disney+ Movies Charting
This Could Only Help Disney+
While it may be surprising that three of the Top 10 Disney+ movies were rated R, this shows how successful more adult-oriented fare can be on the platform. The fact that adults seem to be using the platform to access Hulu titles as well as R-rated fare from Disney’s other brands allows the streaming platform another avenue for revenue, which could prove vital in bolstering it as the streaming market continues to provide a variety of challenges, including intense competition and dwindling profits, which has already led to the cancellation and outright removal of shows like their 2022 Willow series.
Source: Disney+