It was one of Netflix’s biggest launches of 2023 and was previously described as the start of a new sci-fi universe based on the style of ‘Star Wars’: Zack Snyder’s sci-fi blockbuster ‘Rebel Moon’. And to ensure that the hit is seen by as many users as possible, ‘Rebel Moon’ was more heavily promoted than any other movie. But instead of mega hype, there was disillusionment beforehand, because the start of a new science fiction universe was mercilessly punished by the trade press. A shower of criticism after criticism followed and in the meantime there was even a negative review record.
And apparently these sometimes scathing reviews had their effect, because the first week figures made it clear that the title got off to a reasonable start, but was still far from being considered a really big hit among the public. The analysis of the current Netflix charts shows in which direction the science fantasy film is developing: “Rebel Moon” does not meet high expectations given the budget and advertising costs.
Disappointing numbers for ‘Rebel Moon’
As is typical for Friday releases, “Rebel Moon” had less time to rack up views in its first week on the streaming giant. It is therefore not surprising that the numbers in the second week are significantly higher than the week before. In total, Zack Snyder’s sci-fi actioner generated 34 million views in the week of December 25 to 31 (previous week: 23.9 million views). At first glance, this is a disappointing result, as a film of this stature would have needed to reach at least 40 million views to truly be considered a major success with audiences.
By comparison, the action hit “Tyler Rake: Extraction 2” had 42.2 million views in its second week. The recent Netflix hit ‘Leave The World Behind’ even had a fantastic 44.9 million views in the same period.
Despite numerous No. 1 positions on the Netflix charts, Zack Snyder’s ‘Star Wars’ interpretation cannot (yet!) live up to expectations to become one of the most successful Netflix launches of 2023. Of course that could still change. However, it is not yet expected that the holidays have stopped a wider audience from catching up on the film. In the past, the holidays have proven to be a driving force for increased views. Netflix likely launched the film at this exact moment with this in mind.
Part 2 of the space saga finally starts on Netflix on April 19, 2024: “Rebel Moon – Part 2: The Scar Maker”! You can watch the first trailer for the sequel here: