Posted in: Movies, Netflix | Tagged: Rebel Moon, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, zack snyder

Rebel Moon Is Number One On Netflix While Also Underperforming

Two things can be true: Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon is number one on Netflix, but it is still underperforming, suggesting a weak debut, compared to many other 2023 releases.

Published Tue, 26 Dec 2023 17:32:08 -0600

by Kaitlyn Booth

Last updated Wed, 27 Dec 2023 11:10:14 -0600

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Article Summary

'Rebel Moon' tops Netflix charts yet doesn't match other 2023 releases in views.
Snyder's dedicated fanbase questioned as viewership figures fall short.
Comparison with more successful titles reveals 'Rebel Moon's' weaker performance.
Netflix's confidence in Snyder might waver amidst lackluster reviews and numbers.

To the surprise of nearly no one, the first part of Zack Snyder's new science-fiction epic Rebel Moon took the number one spot on Netflix following its streaming debut. The film hasn't exactly been embraced by critics, to put it lightly, with many calling it derivative and unoriginal. Snyder has an online fanbase, but we all know that tweets and the ability to get a hashtag to trend do not equal eyeballs on a property. We saw this in how Zack Snyder's Justice League barely blipped on HBO Max despite the massive fan outcry. It seems that it remains true for Rebel Moon that while Snyder might have a dedicated fanbase, it is much smaller than anyone thinks it is and likely not big enough to sustain the blank checks that Netflix is giving. Both of these things can be true; Rebel Moon is number one on Netflix, and it also underperforming.

Earlier today, outlets started running the numbers that Rebel Moon pulled in 23.9 million views over four days. Some, like The Hollywood Reporter, were trying to spin that as a good number, while others, like What's On Netflix (who is better at tracking numbers than anyone else and for whom the following list of number were cited, thank you) and even The Wrap, were pointing out that while the film might be in the top spot, it is underperforming compared to other films that have come out this year. Plenty of titles this year opened much bigger than Rebel Moon, including Murder Mystery 2 (42.9M), The Mother (42.9M), Extraction 2 (42.8M), Leave the World Behind (41.7M), Heart of Stone (33.1M), You People (28.3M), The Killer (27.9M)and Your Place or Mine (27.7M). Rebel Moon also had the benefit of an earlier release time on Thursday night instead of the very early hours of Friday and the holiday weekend as well.

So, what does this mean for the future of Snyder and Netflix? We'll have to see, like most things in this industry, the second weekend is often more telling than the first. For example, while Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom might be number one this weekend if it gets demolished next weekend, that says a lot about that movie. The trailer for Rebel Moon part two is already out, and it has a release date, but between the terrible reviews and the not-great numbers, people at Netflix are probably more nervous about getting so far into bed with Snyder than they were a week ago.

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire: Summary, Cast List, Release Date

A new universe awaits on Netflix starting December 22. From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire, a 2-part movie event decades in the making. After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher) — leaders of a fierce group of insurgents hunted by the Motherworld.

Tasked with finding fighters who would risk their lives to defend the people of Veldt, Kora, and Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a tenderhearted farmer naive in the realities of war, journey to different worlds in search of the Bloodaxes and assemble a small band of warriors who share a common need for redemption along the way: Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a pilot and gun for hire; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a legendary commander; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a master swordswoman; Tarak (Staz Nair), a captive with a regal past; and Milius (E. Duffy), a resistance fighter. Back on Veldt, Jimmy (voiced by Anthony Hopkins), an ancient mechanized protector hiding in the wings, awakens with a new purpose. But the newly formed revolutionaries must learn to trust each other and fight as one before the armies of the Motherworld come to destroy them all.

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