Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace, which was the most hated movie in the entire franchise for many years, has recently become the most streamedStar Warsfilm on Disney+. The prequel recently celebrated its 25th birthday which, as well as making manyStar Warsfans feel incredibly old, saw the first of George Lucas' prequel trilogy return to theaters across the world.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
According toVariety, multiple sources have confirmed thatStar Wars: The Phantom Menaceis officially the most streamedStar Warsfilm on Disney+, worldwide. The report doesn’t give exact viewership figures. However, it is likely that the film’s 25th anniversary, paired with the recent celebrations of Star Wars Day (May 4th) have caused many fans to return to the prequels. It has been a long-running tradition amongStar Warsfans to re-watch the saga annually on Star Wars Day, and those that elect to watch the films in chronological order willstart withThe Phantom Menace.
The Phantom Menace Was Once the Most Hated Star Wars Movie
To the younger generations ofStar Warsfans, especially those who grew up with the prequels as theirStar Warsfilms, it is hard to imagineThe Phantom Menacebeing so detested. This is especially true in modern day, as long-time fans have targeted their malice towards Disney’s sequel trilogy, starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Issac. However, the original generation ofStar Warsfans despisedThe Phantom Menaceupon release. It is only in recent years that the film has become a cult classic among the very same group of fans.
The hate directed atThe Phantom Menacewas unprecedented, with fans going out of their way to not only attack the film’s contents, but direct hateful opinions and messages towards the actors themselves. The most heartbreaking example is in the case of Jake Lloyd, who portrayed a young Anakin Skywalker inThe Phantom Menace. Lloyd was only 9 years old at the time, but that didn’t stopStar Warsfans from detesting his performance, leading to Lloyd quitting acting altogether. It wasn’t justThe Phantom Menacethat was disliked (although it did receive the majority of the hatred), the entire prequel trilogy was heavily criticized by the fan base upon release, due toits over-reliance on CGI,and some of the performances.
Star Wars' Hayden Christensen Reveals Biggest Influence on His Anakin Skywalker Performance
Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen reveals what he learned from Jake Lloyd’s performance in The Phantom Menace.
However, as is evident inThe Phantom Menace’s popularity on Disney+, the prequel trilogy reached cult status in the late 2010s and ’20s. This is thanks in part to the rise of social media and the internet, which has ‘memed’ the prequels into oblivion, to the point it has drastically raised their status and perceived quality - everyStar Warsfan now knows of the “Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise.” While it has taken over a decade forStar Warsfans to truly appreciate the prequel trilogy, one of its leading stars, Hayden Christensen, was confused why the films received such hatred in the first place. Speaking toEmpireearlier in 2024, Christensen said:
“The character was criticized, my performance was criticized, and that part sucked. I didn’t understand the disconnect between the movie that I saw, and the negativity in some of the reviews.”
Every movie and series in theStar Warssaga is available to stream on Disney+.
