Michael Douglas' New Film Sparks Rotten Tomatoes Debate
Michael Douglas New Film Sparks Rotten Tomatoes Debate...
Michael Douglas' latest movie, Franklin, has ignited a heated debate among critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. The historical drama, released April 18, currently holds a 43% critics score but an 89% audience rating—one of the widest disparities for a major 2026 release.
The divide stems from conflicting views on Douglas' portrayal of Benjamin Franklin in the Apple TV+ biopic. Professional critics argue the film takes too many historical liberties, while viewers praise Douglas' charismatic performance. This clash has pushed Franklin into trending searches as fans defend the project online.
Rotten Tomatoes users have flooded the platform with 5-star reviews this week, calling the criticism "out of touch." Several verified audience reviews highlight Douglas' "Oscar-worthy" transformation into the Founding Father. Meanwhile, industry trades like Variety and The Hollywood Reporter criticized the film's pacing and fictionalized subplots.
The debate reflects growing tensions between professional critics and general audiences. Similar divides occurred with 2025's Napoleon and 2024's The Killer, though rarely with this magnitude. Apple TV+ has not commented on the reception, but Franklin remains a top-streamed title on the platform this week.
Social media reactions peaked Wednesday after Douglas shared a behind-the-scenes clip to his 2.1 million Instagram followers. The post garnered 287k likes in 12 hours with fans using #JusticeForFranklin. Data from Google Trends shows US searches for "Michael Douglas Rotten Tomatoes" spiked 620% since Monday.
Industry analysts note this could impact awards season strategy. While unlikely to sway critics, the strong audience response may prompt Apple to reposition Franklin as a crowd-pleaser rather than prestige drama. The film's performance will be closely watched as streaming services increasingly rely on audience metrics.
Franklin is currently streaming exclusively on Apple TV+. The next major test comes May 1 when Nielsen releases its streaming viewership data.
