Argylle reaches No. 1 most popular movie on streaming

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Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa and John Cena are among the many stars of Argylle, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Photo: Apple TV+

The action-comedy romance film Argylle shot to the top of a streaming popularity chart as soon as it reached Apple TV+. It’s spy-vs-spy excitement chock full of celebrities.

Plus, the series Sugar and Franklin drew big audiences on Apple’s streaming service last week, too. These also feature big-name stars in the lead roles.

Argylle is an immediate streaming hit for Apple TV+

Star power attracts attention to movies, and Argylle is packed with big names, including Henry Cavill, Dua Lipais, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, Bryce Dallas Howard, and many more.

The strategy clearly worked as the film debuted at No. 1 on Reelgood’s list of Top 10 films on streaming during the week ending April 17. Estimates from companies like Reelgood are necessary because streaming services rarely reveal how many people watch their offerings

Argylle, Sugar and Franklin all did well with audiences last week.
Photo: Reelgood

The spy thriller turns spy-movie tropes upside down. Apple’s description says:

Elly Conway, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, is the reclusive cat-loving author of a series of bestselling espionage novels about the impossibly glamorous secret agent Argylle (Henry Cavill), who’s on a mission to unravel a nefarious spy syndicate. When Elly, with the help of feline-hating real-life spy Aidan (Sam Rockwell), discovers that her story mirrors the actions of an actual spy organization, a dangerous game of cat and mouse ensues. In order to stay one step ahead of the syndicate’s assassins while also working to prevent a global crisis, these two unlikely conspirators — accompanied by Alfie the cat — find themselves in an adventure story of their own.

The spy-vs-spy fun is ready to stream now. After the film premiered in theatres on February 2, Argylle made its global streaming debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 12.

Colin Farrell helps make Sugar popular

Speaking of star power, Colin Farrell’s celebrity helped make Sugar popular. He stars as a private detective searching for the missing granddaughter of a Hollywood magnate, and the Apple TV+ series has stayed near the tops of the charts since it premiered earlier this month.

It’s at No. 4 on Reelgood’s list of Top 10 TV shows on streaming last week.

There’s more the Apple TV+ detective series than name recognition. The official description says:

“Sugar is a contemporary, unique take on one of the most popular and significant genres in literary, motion picture and television history: the private detective story. Academy Award nominee Colin Farrell stars as John Sugar, an American private investigator on the heels of the mysterious disappearance of Olivia Siegel, the beloved granddaughter of legendary Hollywood producer Jonathan Siegel. As Sugar tries to determine what happened to Olivia, he will also unearth Siegel family secrets; some very recent, others long-buried.”

Four episodes of Sugar are available now. New episodes will be added on successive Fridays.

Franklin docudrama turns Michael Douglas into a sexy founding father

Legendary actor Michael Douglas has the title role of Franklin, which has surely helped attract audiences. The fact that the series was adapted from a bestseller by Kirk Ellis, who also wrote HBO’s John Adams, which was both popular and showered with awards.

The historical drama is at No. 7 on the Reelgood list of Top 10 TV shows on streaming last week.

As Apple TV+ says:

“At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced an absolute monarchy to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmaneuvered British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues to engineer the Franco-American Alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with Great Britain in 1783.”

Franklin premiered globally on Apple TV+ on April 12, offering the first three episodes to get viewers into the story. There are now four available, with more coming every Friday through mid May.

Watch threes hits and more on Apple TV+

Watching Argylle, Sugar and Franklin plus many other series or films comes with a subscription to Apple TV+. It is $9.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. You can also access it via any tier of the Apple One subscription bundle.

And Apple’s streaming video service also includes much more, of course. There’s a library of drama, comedies, sci-fi, musicals, children’s shows, nature documentaries, etc.

Want more tips on what to watch on Apple TV+? Read our guide to the 15 best shows on Apple TV+.