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Fans celebrate as Kevin Costner's sports movie 'Draft Day' lands a spot on HBO Max's Top 10 list

Kevin Costner's 'Draft Day' was considered a flop for earning just $29M against a budget of $25M

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: While Kevin Costner is currently enjoying immense popularity for his portrayal of John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan's wildly popular Paramount+ series ‘Yellowstone’, his football movie ‘Draft Day’ has achieved a milestone. The star-studded 2014 sports drama has reportedly earned a coveted slot on HBO Max's Top 10. While the movie was considered a flop during its initial theatrical release, fans of Costner seem to have developed a liking for the film as it achieved a milestone on the streaming platform.

The Costner-starrer was director Ivan Reitman's last movie before he died in 2022. Costner plays the fictional Sonny Weaver Jr in the film, who proudly wears the title of Cleveland Browns' general manager. Sonny is confronted with a growing number of decisions as his team secures the first pick in the forthcoming NFL draft. The movie revolves around the decisions that he had to take regarding who the team would retain and the new joinees. 

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Since the release of the film in 2014, watching ‘Draft Day’ has become an annual tradition as the fictional movie represents hope and resilience. According to Collider, every fan not only wants an idol who can not win a match but also make them proud with their deed. 

‘Draft Day’ Box-office

Written by Rajiv Joseph and Scott Rothman, the Ivan Reitman directorial was considered a box-office failure as it managed to garner just $29M on a budget of $25M. The film has a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The general consensus is, "It's perfectly pleasant for sports buffs and Costner fans, but overall, Draft Day lives down to its title by relying too heavily on the sort of by-the-numbers storytelling that only a statistician could love."

Star cast of the film

The multi-starrer sports drama not only featured Costner, but also Jennifer Garner, who starred as Costner’s on-screen love interest. The other big names who were a part of the film are Chadwick Boseman, Tom Welling, Denis Leary, Sam Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Frank Langella and Terry Crews. NFL icons Bernie Kosar, ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman, Jon Gruden, league commissioner Roger Goodell and Rich Eisen also starred in the movie.

'So hyped for my annual rewatch of draft day'

As Costner's movie achieved the milestone, fans took to social media to share their opinions. A fan remarked, "Kevin Costner doesn’t get enough credit for his performance in Draft Day." Citing the actor's real life situation, a fan commented, "I can't believe no one has copied Kevin Costner in Draft Day. There's a whole movie in how to draft successfully, but no one wants to do it!! Smdh." Another fan said, "So hyped for my annual rewatch of draft day ft. kevin costner this thursday."

Another person chimed in with, "It’s that special time of year where the NFL Draft rolls around and a lot of people post gifs, clips, or memes from the movie “Draft Day” with Kevin Costner. Stop it. Just stop it. That movie was terrible and nonsensical. That is all." However, another countered, "What do they put in the water in Happy Valley to produce this nonsense? Draft Day for football fans is a fun and good movie!"

Another quipped, "NFL draft day is simply a reminder to me, that before Yellowstone, Kevin Costner's career had reached an all-time low. #Rebound." Someone else chimed in, "It’s #DraftDay! Time to celebrate possibly the greatest terrible line of Kevin Costner’s career (of which there have been a few): “Come on, Tom, say it with me, you eating MF.”"

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