Ryan Reynolds’ ‘Mayday’ Just Delivered Apple TV’s Biggest Streaming Week Yet, Nearly Doubling Its Closest Competitor

Apple TV has spent years building a reputation for prestige, awards-caliber programming rather than the kind of massive viewership numbers that dominate headlines on other platforms. That approach has made genuine breakout hits something of a rarity for the service, at least until this particular action comedy started climbing the charts.

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh’s Cold War buddy film premiered on Apple TV on September 4, arriving as a streaming-exclusive release for a project that reportedly carried a production budget well into nine figures. Rather than following Apple’s more common pattern of releasing star-driven films in theaters first, “Mayday” skipped that step entirely and went straight to the platform.

According to Nielsen data cited by Variety, “Mayday” is currently dominating streaming, pulling in an estimated 955.1 million minutes watched between September 4 and 10, nearly doubling the second-place title on that week’s chart. The film’s haul dwarfed the rest of the week’s top movies, with Netflix’s “The Whisper Man” landing at 518.1 million minutes, “The Runner” at 516.7 million, “Why Did I Get Married Again?” at 363.8 million, and “The Secret Woman” rounding out the top five with 345.5 million.

“Mayday” follows Lieutenant Troy “Assassin” Kelly, a hotshot U.S. Navy pilot played by Reynolds, sent on a top-secret mission deep into Russian territory during the height of the Cold War. When the operation collapses and leaves him stranded behind enemy lines, Troy’s only path to survival comes through an unexpected alliance with Nikolai Ustinov, a gruff, culturally curious ex-KGB agent played by Branagh.

‘MAYDAY’ is dominating streaming right now. The Ryan Reynolds-led film pulled in an estimated 955.1M minutes watched from Sept. 4–10, nearly doubling the #2 movie. Most-watched movies: ‘MAYDAY’ — 955.1M ‘THE WHISPER MAN’ — 518.1M ‘THE RUNNER’ — 516.7M ‘WHY DID I GET MARRIED AGAIN?’ — 363.8M ‘THE SECRET WOMAN’ — 345.5M (@Variety)

— Geek Vibes Nation (@GeekVibesNation) September 18, 2026

The film also stars Maria Bakalova as Nikolai’s daughter Anna, along with Marcin Dorociński and David Morse rounding out the supporting cast. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the filmmaking duo behind “Game Night” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” wrote and directed the project.

Notably, “Mayday” had been sitting completed since mid-2024 before Apple finally set its release date this past July, a delay that raised eyebrows given the film’s scale and star power. Despite the unusually long wait, the film’s reception upon release suggests the delay had little to do with creative concerns.

Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh star in the first trailer for #Mayday.

The action comedy film releases September 4 on Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/Z72EipWvEb

— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) July 17, 2026

Critics have generally responded warmly to the finished product. SlashFilm’s Ethan Anderton described it as a “‘Midnight Run’ riff” in which “[Ryan Reynolds] is sporadically amusing,” a characterization that captures the film’s buddy-comedy energy without overselling its ambitions. That reception, combined with the film’s immediate climb to the top of Apple TV’s own internal charts per FlixPatrol, suggests the streaming-first strategy has paid off for the platform.

Reynolds has a track record of delivering streaming hits for major platforms, having previously teamed with Apple for “Spirited” alongside Will Ferrell, in addition to headlining big-budget action fare for Netflix like “Red Notice” and “6 Underground.” His pairing with Branagh appears to have replicated that same formula successfully, giving Apple TV a genuine viewership milestone rather than just another prestige title.

With “Mayday” now standing as one of the platform’s most-watched original films to date, its success could signal a shift in how Apple approaches future star-driven projects that might otherwise have been positioned for a traditional theatrical release.

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