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Will Ferrell’s The Hawk Tops Netflix Charts Despite Poor Critic Scores

Early streaming success puts pressure on audience engagement to determine whether the 10-episode series will return for a second season.

Overview

  • Netflix released The Hawk as a 10-episode comedy series on July 16, 2026, and the show quickly rose into the streamer’s Top 10, reaching No. 1 in the U.S. and Canada in its opening days according to chart trackers.
  • Critics have been largely negative with a reported Rotten Tomatoes critic score around 29–30 percent and common complaints that the jokes are spread thin across the longer series format.
  • The cast centers on Will Ferrell as washed-up golfer Lonnie “The Hawk” Hawkins with Fortune Feimster as his caddy Sam and supporting roles from Molly Shannon, Jimmy Tatro, Chris Parnell and others.
  • The series faced creative changes during development when Ramy Youssef and Josh Rabinowitz left the project last year, a factor critics and outlets have cited when noting uneven tone and pacing.
  • Because Netflix did not label the show as a limited series, its future now depends on sustained viewer demand and chart performance rather than critical reaction, a dynamic that could shape whether Ferrell’s first lead TV comedy returns.