Wikipedia:Top 25 Report/January 2 to 8, 2022

Don't forget to read the 2021 annual top 50 report

Most Popular Wikipedia Articles of the Week (January 2 to 8, 2022)
Prepared with commentary by, , , and 

The first full report of 2022 still has leftovers of what was popular on December 31 and January 1, but the first week also had plenty of deaths, sports and streaming releases to shake things up a bit.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Rank ! Article ! Class ! Views ! Image ! Notes/about
 * 1
 * Betty White
 * 2,084,339
 * Betty White 1988 Emmy Awards (cropped 2).jpg
 * The famed actress with a storied career in film and TV that lasted over half a century died on December 31, just days before her 100th birthday.
 * 2
 * Sidney Poitier
 * 1,843,737
 * Sidney Poitier 2009.jpg
 * Right after the last big death of 2021, the first of 2022. Sidney Poitier, who passed on at the age of 94, was a pioneer in breaking racial barriers, being the first Black winner of the Academy Award for Best Actor for Lilies of the Field, and in 1967 starred in three movies about prejudice, In the Heat of the Night (winner of Best Picture and source of the immortal quote "They call me Mr. Tibbs!"), To Sir, With Love and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
 * 3
 * Spider-Man: No Way Home
 * 1,433,701
 * WW Chicago 2014 - Spider-Man (14882062928).jpg
 * Not even the goddamned pandemic could slow down the hype of Spider-Man's third movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which now sits as the eighth highest-grossing movie of all time with $1.5 billion worldwide. Hope all those people who watched it have some consideration for the ones who are taking their time before watching No Way Home and valiantly running from spoilers.
 * 4
 * Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff
 * 1,217,370
 * Présentation équipe DMBC, 10 septembre 2016 - 4.jpg
 * French twins involved with both science fiction and real science, although some theoretic articles they wrote in 2002 have had discussions about their legitimacy, even on Wikipedia. And in their death at the age of 72 the Bogdanoffs reminded us that everyone, especially the elderly, should get vaccinated, as they were hospitalized halfway through December on critical condition due to COVID, and both died across a week, Grichka on December 28 and Igor on January 3.
 * 5
 * Don't Look Up (2021 film)
 * 1,143,502
 * Asteroid falling to Earth.jpg
 * Adam McKay brought Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio out of hiding to play scientists that struggle to get the human race together against a doomsday scenario in a thinly veiled global warming allegory. Ever since Netflix released Don't Look Up it has been the subject of much discussions, including on the discrepancy of reviewer criticism and scientist praise.
 * 6
 * Antonio Brown
 * 1,085,494
 * Second Photos 52 (50833235517).jpg
 * One of the defending NFL champions was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after taking off his uniform and running away to the lockers during a game, and later also revealed he was playing through injuries.
 * 7
 * Deaths in 2022
 * 922,659
 * Skullclose.jpg
 * New year, new list of the recently departed (including #2 and #4), bring back that skull picture!
 * 8
 * Elizabeth Holmes
 * 904,436
 * Elizabeth Holmes 2016.jpeg
 * As registered by an HBO documentary (and a film by the director and star of #5 is also planned), one of the biggest scams/disappointments of the last decade was the CEO of Theranos, who duped lots of investors into technology that would revolutionize the area of clinical exams if it actually worked. After delays due to both the pandemic and her pregnancy, Holmes (who managed the feat of being worth $4.5 billion in 2015 and $0 the following year) was finally sent into court and convicted for fraud.
 * 9
 * Encanto (film)
 * 825,605
 * House on Calle 39, Cartagena.jpg
 * As if box office and streaming views weren't enough for the latest Disney animation, one of its songs, "We Don't Talk About Bruno", is now a chart hit as big as "Let It Go" nearly a decade ago.
 * 10
 * Pushpa: The Rise
 * 818,051
 * Red_sandalwood_logs_at_kapiltirtham0.jpg
 * This Telugu action film is now the highest-grossing Indian film of 2021, along with fourth of all time among Tollywood releases.
 * 11
 * The Lost Daughter (film)
 * 723,455
 * Maggie Gyllenhaal Internationale Jury Berlinale 2017.jpg
 * Maggie Gyllenhaal made her directorial debut in this movie that hit Netflix after going through the festival circuit, that tells the story of a middle-aged divorcee (Olivia Colman) whose holidays in Greece make her confront her past.
 * 12
 * Julia Fox (actress)
 * 678,076
 * Julia Fox on Dulce Osuna.jpg
 * Fox, an actress who first appeared in 2019's Uncut Gems, confirmed that she was dating Kanye West on Thursday. West and his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, separated in February 2021.
 * 13
 * The Matrix Resurrections
 * 670,580
 * WonderCon 2015 - The Matrix cosplay (17048773331).jpg
 * The return of a long-dormant franchise in a very meta-textual way - as put by Honest Trailers, "a movie about being forced to make a follow-up to a trilogy you're currently watching the forced follow-up to, which just ends up being... reality?"
 * 14
 * Kazakhstan
 * 669,555
 * Maimarkt Mannheim 2014 - Flagge Kasachstans.JPG
 * An increase in gas prices sparked protests against the Russian-aligned Kazakh government. While the prime minister resigned on Wednesday, protesters are calling for the ousting of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
 * 15
 * The Witcher (TV series)
 * 656,550
 * PGA Poznań 2015 Witcher cosplays.JPG
 * People are still interested in season 2 of this Netflix show, adapting the Polish fantasy novels that also inspired widely acclaimed games.
 * 16
 * Emma Watson
 * 655,997
 * Emma Watson 2013.jpg
 * She's been a Disney Princess and one of the Little Women, but for some she'll always be Hermione Granger of #22. For those, HBO released Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, reuniting Watson with Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, among many others of the cast and crew.
 * 17
 * Stay Close
 * 615,973
 * Harlan Coben autographe 12 mars 2009.jpg
 * More Netflix releases in a British mystery miniseries adapting a Harlan Coben (pictured) book.
 * 18
 * Cobra Kai
 * 580,875
 * Cobra Kai 61109191305 (49133107198).jpg
 * Netflix premiered season 4 of the revival of The Karate Kid, now featuring Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence joining forces to take down the title dojo.
 * 19
 * Ben Roethlisberger
 * 563,649
 * Ben Roethlisberger (51655005670).jpg
 * In what's likely his final NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback known as "Big Ben" still makes a difference, helping his team beat the Baltimore Ravens and take their playoff spot.
 * 20
 * Zendaya
 * 556,849
 * Zendaya - 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg
 * rowspan=2|Two people who in #3 have an emotional scene that is effectively a second chance at one of Marvel's most impactful stories.
 * 21
 * Andrew Garfield
 * 547,749
 * Garfield22.PNG
 * 22
 * Harry Potter (film series)
 * 511,308
 * The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7358052328).jpg
 * An HBO reunion special was released on New Years Day, a few weeks after the 20th anniversary of the first film. Also this week, a clip from Jon Stewart's podcast comparing the franchise's goblins to antisemitic stereotypes went viral.
 * 23
 * Yellowstone (American TV series)
 * 495,382
 * Kevin Costner 2014.jpg
 * For all the people who dropped cable TV for streaming, should be a surprise that this Paramount Network show starring Kevin Costner as the owner of a Montana ranch has some impressive viewership numbers on its fourth season, with its season finale bringing in nearly 10 million viewers.
 * 24
 * Tom Holland
 * 493,514
 * Tom Holland Bali 2019 2.jpg
 * Behind his girlfriend (#20) and the previous Spider-Man (#21) - but in front of the first one - the current Peter Parker who headlines #3.
 * 25
 * Helen McCrory
 * 474,913
 * Helen McCrory 2017 (Extract).jpg
 * After her untimely death last year, I can only assume the spike in pageviews comes from tributes paid to her in #22.
 * }
 * Netflix premiered season 4 of the revival of The Karate Kid, now featuring Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence joining forces to take down the title dojo.
 * 19
 * Ben Roethlisberger
 * 563,649
 * Ben Roethlisberger (51655005670).jpg
 * In what's likely his final NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback known as "Big Ben" still makes a difference, helping his team beat the Baltimore Ravens and take their playoff spot.
 * 20
 * Zendaya
 * 556,849
 * Zendaya - 2019 by Glenn Francis.jpg
 * rowspan=2|Two people who in #3 have an emotional scene that is effectively a second chance at one of Marvel's most impactful stories.
 * 21
 * Andrew Garfield
 * 547,749
 * Garfield22.PNG
 * 22
 * Harry Potter (film series)
 * 511,308
 * The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012 (7358052328).jpg
 * An HBO reunion special was released on New Years Day, a few weeks after the 20th anniversary of the first film. Also this week, a clip from Jon Stewart's podcast comparing the franchise's goblins to antisemitic stereotypes went viral.
 * 23
 * Yellowstone (American TV series)
 * 495,382
 * Kevin Costner 2014.jpg
 * For all the people who dropped cable TV for streaming, should be a surprise that this Paramount Network show starring Kevin Costner as the owner of a Montana ranch has some impressive viewership numbers on its fourth season, with its season finale bringing in nearly 10 million viewers.
 * 24
 * Tom Holland
 * 493,514
 * Tom Holland Bali 2019 2.jpg
 * Behind his girlfriend (#20) and the previous Spider-Man (#21) - but in front of the first one - the current Peter Parker who headlines #3.
 * 25
 * Helen McCrory
 * 474,913
 * Helen McCrory 2017 (Extract).jpg
 * After her untimely death last year, I can only assume the spike in pageviews comes from tributes paid to her in #22.
 * }
 * 24
 * Tom Holland
 * 493,514
 * Tom Holland Bali 2019 2.jpg
 * Behind his girlfriend (#20) and the previous Spider-Man (#21) - but in front of the first one - the current Peter Parker who headlines #3.
 * 25
 * Helen McCrory
 * 474,913
 * Helen McCrory 2017 (Extract).jpg
 * After her untimely death last year, I can only assume the spike in pageviews comes from tributes paid to her in #22.
 * }
 * Helen McCrory 2017 (Extract).jpg
 * After her untimely death last year, I can only assume the spike in pageviews comes from tributes paid to her in #22.
 * }



Exclusions

 * This list excludes the Wikipedia main page, non-article pages (such as redlinks), and anomalous entries (such as DDoS attacks or likely automated views). Since mobile view data became available to the Report in October 2014, we exclude articles that have almost no mobile views (5–6% or less) or almost all mobile views (94–95% or more) because they are very likely to be automated views based on our experience and research of the issue. Please feel free to discuss any removal on the talk page if you wish.