HBO Max's Masterpiece Sci-Fi Cyberpunk Movie Dethroned By Fantasy Hit At A Crucial Moment

Published Sep 11, 2026, 7:52 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." Sign in to your ScreenRant account HBO Max has just seen a masterpiece sci-fi cyberpunk movie in its ranks lose the streamer's top spot to a fantasy epic right at a crucial moment. HBO Max's library of movies and TV shows holds many genres, but when it comes to sci-fi, the streamer is perfect for those looking for huge franchises. Among those HBO Max holds is James Gunn's DC Universe, which is topping the streaming service's charts worldwide with Lanterns, its new sci-fi detective series. Beyond the DCU, DC has many excellent sci-fi or sci-fi-tinged movies and shows. It is also not the only franchise on HBO Max. Denis Villeneuve's two Dune movies released in theaters so far are available to stream on HBO Max. The franchise has made waves with its immersive worlds, political story, and complex characters with powerhouse actors attached to the roles. Those two franchises are joined by another massive sci-fi franchise on HBO Max globally, as Blade Runner 2049, which stars Project Hail Mary lead Ryan Gosling, has been trending high on HBO Max outside the United States, where it is streaming on fubo and Paramount+, for some time. However, Blade Runner 2049 has just been dethroned by a fantasy hit at a crucial time for both franchises. Will Blade Runner 2049 Reclaim Its Streaming Title? Up until September 9, Blade Runner 2049 was the most-watched movie on HBO Max worldwide, according to FlixPatrol. However, the masterpiece sci-fi cyberpunk movie was dethroned on September 10, with Practical Magic taking the streamer's global crown and Gosling's film falling to 3rd. At the time of writing, Blade Runner 2049 is trending on HBO Max in 21 countries, though it is not the streamer's most-watched movie in any of them. As for Practical Magic, the fantasy movie starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock has become a streaming sensation in 36 countries, leaving the sci-fi cyberpunk movie behind by a comfortable margin. Practical Magic was already on HBO Max's charts before it went on to surpass Blade Runner 2049. On the last day of Gosling's global dominance on HBO Max, Kidman and Bullock's witch film ranked 3rd. What changed in that time was that the original entry in the fantasy franchise became HBO Max's most-watched movie on the exact day that Practical Magic 2 was released in theaters, September 10. 28 years after the original, Kidman and Bullock have returned to play the Owens sisters again, and that has many rewatching Practical Magic to get ready for the sequel or finally discovering the fantasy movie, making it harder for Blade Runner 2049 to reclaim its title. Blade Runner's Streaming Resurgence Comes At Its Own Unique Timing There is an interesting connection between the streaming resurgence of both movies. While Practical Magic 2 has boosted the original's performance on HBO Max, the Blade Runner franchise's imminent return is also behind Blade Runner 2049's newfound streaming success. While no characters from the cyberpunk movie are expected to return in it, a sequel series set 50 years after the film, Blade Runner 2099, will debut on Prime Video on November 25. In addition to that, Blade Runner 2049's main star, Gosling, led this year's Project Hail Mary, one of 2026's biggest hits, which also helped boost Blade Runner 2049 before it was recently dethroned. Blade Runner 2049 8/10 Release Date October 6, 2017 Runtime 164 minutes Blade Runner 2049 is a sequel to the 1982 classic, set three decades later. The film follows LAPD Officer K, a blade runner who uncovers a secret with the potential to destabilize society. His investigation leads him to Rick Deckard, the original blade runner who vanished 30 years prior. Cast Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana De Armas, Dave Bautista, Robin Wright, Sylvia Hoeks, Mackenzie Davis, Jared Leto, Carla Juri, Hiam Abbass, Lennie James, David Dastmalchian, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, Barkhad Abdi, Wood Harris, Tómas Lemarquis, Sallie Harmsen, Loren Peta, Mark Arnold, Krista Kosonen, Elarica Johnson, David Benson, Kingston Taylor, Ben Thompson Director Denis Villeneuve Practical Magic Release Date October 16, 1998 Runtime 104 minutes Practical Magic is a 1998 romantic fantasy film about sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, descendants of a long line of witches burdened by a curse that dooms the men they love. When Gillian’s abusive boyfriend dies and the sisters attempt to resurrect him, they unleash a dangerous supernatural force that forces them to embrace their family’s magic. Cast Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Visnjic, Aidan Quinn, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip, Mark Feuerstein, Caprice Benedetti, Annabella Price, Camilla Belle, Lora Anne Criswell, Margo Martindale, Chloe Webb, Martha Gehman, Lucinda Jenney, Cordelia Richards, Mary Gross, Jack Kirschker, Herta Ware, Ellen Geer, Courtney Dettrich, John McLeod, Trevor Duncan Director Griffin Dunne