Just when you thought the streaming wars couldn't get any wilder, Paramount+ has pulled off an unexpected revival: Will Smith's 1999 sci-fi Western Wild Wild West has clawed its way into the platform's top 10 most-watched movies in the U.S. this month. The film, once derided as one of the worst Westerns of the '90s, is now finding a fresh audience—thanks in large part to the Taylor Sheridan effect.
Sheridan's Lioness Season 3 just roared onto Paramount+ after a month-long wait, following the explosive July 3 finale of the Yellowstone spin-off Dutton Ranch. The new season, starring Zoe Saldaña alongside Morgan Freeman, Nicole Kidman, Michael Kelly, and LaMonica Garrett, shot straight to the top of the charts, with its premiere episode scoring a stellar 9.0/10 on IMDb. Critics are already calling it the show's best yet, with an 82% Rotten Tomatoes score and a near-perfect 95% audience rating.
But with Lioness airing weekly, Sheridan devotees are on the hunt for their next binge. And it seems they've stumbled upon a cult classic in the making. Wild Wild West, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) and starring Smith, Kevin Kline, Salma Hayek, and Kenneth Branagh, is now one of the platform's most-streamed films, trailing only Avatar: The Last Airbender in popularity.
The movie, a bizarre blend of sci-fi, Western, and comedy, follows President Ulysses S. Grant (Kline) as he recruits Civil War hero James West (Smith) to thwart an assassination plot. It was a critical and commercial disaster upon release, grossing just $221 million worldwide against a bloated $175 million budget. But 27 years later, it's bouncing back in a big way.
Why the sudden resurgence? It's likely a mix of nostalgia, curiosity, and the Sheridan effect. Fans of gritty, modern Westerns like Yellowstone and Landman might be drawn to the genre's lighter, campier side. And with Lioness dominating the charts, Paramount+ is clearly the go-to hub for Western content—even the ones that flopped.
This isn't the first time a forgotten Western has found new life on streaming. Earlier this year, Josh O'Connor's rebuilding Western hit free streaming, and Robert Redford's classic Jeremiah Johnson is now available on Tubi. But Wild Wild West's revival is particularly ironic, given its infamous reputation.
For those who missed it the first time—or deliberately avoided it—now's your chance to see what all the fuss was about. Is it a misunderstood gem or a glorious trainwreck? Either way, it's streaming on Paramount+ right now, and it's clearly striking a chord with audiences.
As Sheridan's empire continues to expand, with Lioness and other hits like Tulsa King and Mayor of Kingstown, Paramount+ is cementing its status as the home of modern Western storytelling. And apparently, that includes giving a second life to the genre's most notorious misfires.
So, if you're caught up on Lioness and craving more Western action, why not give Wild Wild West a shot? It might not be high art, but it's certainly a wild ride—and it's proving that even the worst Western of the '90s can find redemption in the streaming age.
