One of the most underrated cult fantasy movies is about to fly onto a new streaming home, and fans are hoping it will ignite a sequel (as unlikely as that might be). Following Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, every fantasy novel under the sun was being eyed for movie adaptations. One bestseller that made it to cinematic fruition was Christopher Paolini’s epic tale of a young dragon-rider, Eragon. The film might have completely divided critics and fans of the book, and underperformed at the box office, but it’s about to set its new streaming home ablaze.
Eragon will stream on Hulu this November. The film will be added to Hulu’s streaming library on November 1. Paolini’s Eragon was a major hit, and 20th Century Fox was hoping to capitalize on that success and the aforementioned hype for the fantasy genre following The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, Eragon failed to do so when it was released in 2006. Stefen Fangmeier directed the movie, based on a screenplay by Peter Buchman. Things were looking in the film’s favor, as it boasted a strong cast, including Ed Speelers as the titular Eragon, alongside Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Garrett Hedlund, Rachel Weisz, Robert Carlyle, and Djimon Hounsou.
Eragon follows the eponymous protagonist, a young farmhand, when he stumbles upon a lost dragon’s egg. Choosing to keep the egg a secret and raise the hatchling, Eragon learns that he is the only one who can save his homeland. The official synopsis reads:
“Eragon (Ed Speleers), a poor farm boy, lives in Alagaesia, a kingdom ruled by Galbatorix (John Malkovich), a powerful but evil monarch. One day, Eragon discovers a beautiful stone that he soon realizes is a dragon’s egg. When the creature hatches, Eragon sets forth on a path that could restore the glory of his homeland’s legendary Dragon Riders and perhaps overthrow Galbatorix.”
‘Eragon’ Was Hated By Critics, But Is Now a Cult-Classic
It’s safe to say that Eragon wasn’t a major hit when it opened in 2006. The film performed moderately at the box office, grossing over $250 million against a budget of $100 million. However, 20th Century Fox was hoping it had the next billion-dollar hit on its hands and deemed the film a failure. As a result, plans for a sequel were quickly canceled.
Eragon was also a major flop with critics. The film holds a dreadful 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences on Rotten Tomatoes are completely divided by the movie. Many hate it, deeming it a poor adaptation and a weak film in general. However, it has gained a strong cult following in recent years, with demand for a sequel growing online seemingly out of nowhere. As a result, it holds a split 46% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes from over 250,000 reviews.
- Release Date
-
December 15, 2006
- Runtime
-
103 minutes
- Director
-
Stefen Fangmeier
- Writers
-
Christopher Paolini, Peter Buchman