Violent WWII Sequel Overtakes Sci-Fi Blockbuster on Streaming

Sisu: Road to Revenge, a low-budget WWII action film, has become an unexpected hit on HBO Max, surpassing the viewership of the $225 million Jurassic World Rebirth.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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While the Russell Crowe and Rami Malek-led World War II-era courtroom drama Nuremberg has been entertaining older audiences on home video, a more violent WWII sequel titled Sisu: Road to Revenge has been attracting younger crowds on streaming. The sequel to the 2022 word-of-mouth hit Sisu, which featured graphic violence and mayhem, has become an instant hit on HBO Max, replacing the blockbuster Jurassic World Rebirth at the top of the streamer's global leaderboard.

Why it matters

The success of Sisu: Road to Revenge on streaming highlights the growing appetite for gritty, action-packed WWII stories, even if they come with a high level of violence. It also demonstrates the power of word-of-mouth and the ability of low-budget films to find an audience and outperform big-budget blockbusters on streaming platforms.

The details

Sisu: Road to Revenge, directed by Jalmari Helander, brought back Jorma Tommila as Aatami Korpi, a former soldier scouting for hidden gold in Lapland in 1944. The sequel replaced the Nazi antagonists of the first film with Soviets, but it earned equally impressive reviews, holding a "Certified Fresh" 94% critics' score and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite its positive reviews, the movie's theatrical run was underwhelming, earning just under $10 million worldwide against a reported budget of around $12 million. However, the film has found great success on streaming, becoming the number one title on HBO Max's global leaderboard and surpassing the viewership of the $225 million Jurassic World Rebirth.

  • Sisu: Road to Revenge was released in theaters in 2026.
  • The original Sisu film was released in 2022.

The players

Sisu: Road to Revenge

A sequel to the 2022 word-of-mouth hit Sisu, featuring graphic violence and mayhem set during World War II.

Jorma Tommila

The actor who reprised his role as Aatami Korpi, the former soldier scouting for hidden gold in Lapland, in the Sisu sequel.

Jurassic World Rebirth

A $225 million sci-fi blockbuster that was previously the top title on HBO Max's global leaderboard before being overtaken by Sisu: Road to Revenge.

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The takeaway

Sisu: Road to Revenge's unexpected success on streaming, surpassing a big-budget sci-fi blockbuster, demonstrates the power of word-of-mouth and the ability of low-budget films to find an audience on streaming platforms, even if they feature a high level of violence.