The newCameron Diazmovie has become a global streaming sensation. The American actor became an A-list star off the back of prominent romantic comedies from the late 1990s, includingMy Best Friend’s Wedding(in which she played Julia Roberts' romantic rival) andThere’s Something About Mary(in which she played the title role opposite Ben Stiller). She has also taken on major projects in other genres, including starring in 2000’sCharlie’s Angelsand its 2003 sequelFull Throttle, as well as voicing Princess Fiona in DreamWorks' animatedShrekfranchise.
However, for a full decade between 2014 and 2024, she starred in no movies at all.Cameron Diaz retired from acting, with her final project until 2025 being the 2014 remake ofAnniestarring Quvenzhané Wallis and Jamie Foxx. She spent that decade focusing on her family, working to “reclaim” her life, and working in the wellness space, including launching an organic wine brand and publishingThe Longevity Book. However,Diaz has now returned to actingwith a streaming project that has made a huge splash.
Back In Action Is A Netflix Smash
The Cameron Diaz Movie Debuted In January 2025
Back in Actionhas become an all-time Netflix hit. The 2025 movie, which was directed and co-written by Seth Gordon, stars Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx as parents and former spies whose past comes back to haunt them. The movie proved to be a success,debuting at No. 1 on Netflix’s weekly global Top 10 chartfor English-language movies and staying on for six weeks. This was the case in spite ofBack in Actionreviewsearning it a dismal 29% Rotten Tomatoes score. Below, read an excerpt from the 5 out of 10 review byScreenRant’s own Ferdosa Abdi:
Seth Gordon helmed the likes of Baywatch, Horrible Bosses, Identity Theft, and Back in Action, which fits neatly into this filmography. It’s a semi-funny comedy with great talent that lacks interesting directing choices. Gordon’s approach is very stable but boring. That would be fine if the script wasn’t lacking. A few chuckles are littered throughout, but that can be credited to the actors' line delivery. Back in Action succeeds by doing the bare minimum.
Netflixhas now addedBack in Actionto their all-time global chart of the most-watched English-language movies on the platform.It has landed at No. 8, three months after its debut, by accumulating 262.7 million viewing hours from 138.3 million unique viewers. This has seen it race past the previous No. 9 title, the Robert Rodriguez superhero movieWe Can Be Heroes, and the previous No. 8, the Millie Bobby Brown fantasy movieDamsel. Below, see a breakdown of the entire Top 10 at the time of writing:
1
230.9 million
2
172.1 million
3
171.4 million
4
157.6 million
5
157.4 million
6
143.4 million
7
139.3 million
8
138.3 million
9
138 million
10
137.3 million
Her Comeback Has Started Off Strong And Could Get Stronger
Image via Netflix
The Netflix success of the newCameron Diazaction moviecould just be the first drop in the bucket of a major comeback for the star.Her next major project is reprising the role of Princess Fiona in the long-awaited sequelShrek 5, which is poised to become a box office smash as the latest installment in a franchise that has already grossed more than $4 billion. This pair of titles could reaffirm Diaz’s status as a major A-list star, also helping to boost smaller upcoming projects of hers, such as the Jonah Hill-directed Apple TV+ dark comedyOutcome.
Back in Action
Cast
Back in Action follows former CIA operatives Emily and Matt, who are thrust back into espionage years after retiring to raise a family. Released on June 25, 2025, the film unravels their return to the clandestine world when their identities are exposed.
