One of the most polarizing war films of all time, starring award-winning actor and director Ben Affleck, is heading to a new streaming home. The actor’s 24-year-old romantic war drama, Pearl Harbor, is set to debut on Hulu soon.
Hulu has confirmed that Pearl Harbor will be among several films joining its platform on Sept. 1. The film is already available for global audiences via Disney+ and can be rented or purchased through various services, including Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+. The Disney-owned Hulu is entering its final stretch before merging with Disney+ in 2026, as confirmed during a recent announcement.
Hulu will shut down after two decades, with Disney planning to integrate Hulu’s content into its platform over the next year. Hulu won’t be completely dead, however, as it will transform into a general entertainment brand once the merger is complete. Along with Pearl Harbor, the John Wick franchise and other new additions are set to debut on Hulu over the next few weeks, potentially giving the service a much-needed boost following the merger announcement.
Featuring a heavily fictionalized account of the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the movie boasts an impressive cast, including Affleck and Jennifer Garner. The ensemble also features Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr., Alec Baldwin, Jon Voight, Michael Shannon and the late Tom Sizemore.
Along with chronicling the attack and the retaliatory Doolittle Raid, Pearl Harbor centers on a love triangle involving best friends and USAAC combat pilots Rafe McCawley (Affleck) and Danny Walker (Hartnett), who vie for the heart of Lieutenant Evelyn Johnson (Beckinsale), a nurse.
Pearl Harbor became a box-office hit upon release, grossing $449.2 million worldwide against its $140 million budget, making it the sixth-highest-grossing film that year. However, despite receiving praise for its action sequences and visual spectacle, including a 40-minute battle sequence that’s arguably the movie’s biggest highlight, Pearl Harbor was slammed by critics for its historical inaccuracies and screenplay.
What’s Next for Ben Affleck?
Pearl Harbor’s polarizing reception was summed up during awards season, where it earned four Academy Award nominations (winning Best Sound Editing), along with six Golden Raspberry Award nods, including Worst Picture. Affleck’s most recent big-screen appearance was in Amazon’s The Accountant 2 alongside The Odyssey star Jon Bernthal.
Though the long-awaited sequel to The Accountant struggled at the box office, it was positively reviewed (76% on Rotten Tomatoes) and became the second-most-watched film in Amazon MGM’s history following its release.
Next up for Affleck is his Netflix crime thriller, The Rip, alongside longtime collaborator and business partner Matt Damon. The film, which Affleck and Damon recently likened to Training Day, premieres on Jan. 16, 2026. He will also direct and star in another Netflix crime thriller, Animals, alongside Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington and Steven Yeun.
Pearl Harbor debuts on Hulu on Sept. 1.
Pearl Harbor
- Release Date
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May 25, 2001
- Runtime
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183 minutes
- Director
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Michael Bay
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