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Bizarrely, An Easter Film Is Dominating Streaming As Halloween Approaches

Despite not being a Halloween film, it's shooting up the streaming charts.

Halloween is the time for ghosts, monsters, and all kinds of creepy creatures. Rabbits, however, are neither spooky nor scary. Despite this, an Easter-themed film is shooting up the streaming charts, suggesting there may be more to rabbits than we know. 

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According to FlixPatrolPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is doing well on several streaming platforms right now. It is currently the 5th most popular film on Amazon, the 18th most popular on iTunes, and the 68th most popular on Google Play.

Released in 2021, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway is a sequel to 2018’s Peter Rabbit. This franchise stretches back to 1902 when Beatrix Potter released the first story starring the titular rabbit. The film picks up where the first ended, with the rabbits and their human friends Thomas and Bea being a makeshift family.

However, Peter still has doubts about the whole situation, as does Thomas. Bea starts to write children’s books based on her animal friends, but Peter is dismayed to find the books portray him as a naughty rabbit. When a publisher attempts to buy the books and play this up, Peter runs off, only to encounter animals who want to encourage his naughtiness.

Part of the reason for the film’s late bloom on streaming is that the film was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its original release date was February 2020. However, this was soon pushed back to April. However, in April, many theaters were closed due to the pandemic, and thus the film was delayed until August. However, things hadn’t improved by August, and thus the film was pushed back until January 2021.

In January, the film was again delayed, and it was decided that different locations would each get vastly different release dates. However, these dates were changed several times. Eventually, the film came out in Australia in March, the UK in May, and America in June before hitting streaming in July. 

The film was decently successful, earning $153.8 million despite the pandemic. The film got mixed reviews from audiences and critics, and it currently holds a 67% critic score and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Most reviewers argued that the film was fine, if generic and lacking some of the first film’s charm and whimsy. However, the consensus was that the movie was a tolerable family film that won’t offend you, but it likely won’t be something you rewatch in the future. 

Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway might not be a Halloween film, but it is an excellent family film, and this is why it is currently doing so well on streaming. It is the perfect film to watch with the kids on a cold Autumn night or a wet weekend.