Shaft 2019 New Arrivals At Netflix UK

Apart from only dropping only in theaters in the US, the latest Shaft films have been released on Netflix in the UK. The original Shaft from 1971 was considered the classic of the blaxploitation genre, thanks to the cold performance known as Richard Roundtree in the title role and the super funky soundtrack by the late Isaac Hayes.

The success of the film produced two sequels - Great Score Shaft! and Shaft In Africa - and a high-profile sequel / reboot in 2000 starring Samuel L. Jackson. The film reveals Jackson's character is actually Roundtree's Shaft nephew, who repeats his role in several scenes.

Back in 2015, a hybrid reboot / new sequel was reported, with confirmation that a film was officially in the works which appeared two years later. Initially referred to as Son of Shaft, Team Story registers to direct. Both Jackson and Roundtree are bound to repeat their roles, while Jessie T. Usher acts as the newest branch in their iconic family tree. The rest of the players are filled by Regina Hall (The Hate U Give) and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Dark Phoenix). Reunited with a son who was far different from himself, the unorthodox detective was given the task of helping him track down his best friend's killer.

And now, Shaft is officially available for streaming in the UK, billed as Genuine Netflix. There is little word that British fans can anticipate this, similar to how Cloverfield Paradox enjoys a surprise release. This step is also comparable to how France released Booksmart during its theatrical release in the US. However, it is still too early to know how this film will be ranked on the platform.

As one of the busiest and most productive actors working today, Jackson has many projects in various stages of development, and he will then be seen on the big screen on Spider-Man: Far From Home. Repeating his long-standing role as super-spy Nick Fury, he will hijack Peter Parker's vacation in Europe and partner with Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio to save the world from The Elementals. He will also return to The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, a 2017 surprise sequel which also stars Deadpool's Ryan Reynolds.

News about the release will no doubt meet with conflicting responses, especially about what caused this decision. For some people, it is believed that such spontaneous releases are a sign of a lack of trust in the film and that the studio does not consider it suitable for release worldwide. The reactions to Cloverfield Paradox mentioned above must have supported that idea, and indeed the Shaft has encountered many negative reviews.

Then again, it could be that Netflix sees potential and goes out of their way to secure international rights, because they are increasingly trying to do it recently. Through Netflix, Shaft may get an audience that won't be accepted in theaters. As seen in the latest Adam Sandler vehicle, Murder Mystery, which was reportedly watched by more than 30 million in the first three days. Whatever the case, English fans will no doubt be happy that they can avoid spending money on full price tickets.