Rebel Moon - Part 1: A Child of Fire did not go over very well with most critics (it's currently sitting at 24% on Rotten Tomatoes), but the first film in Zack Snyder's two-part sci-fi epic has proven to be a pretty big hit for Netflix.
According to the viewership data (via THR), A Child of Fire quickly became the streamer's most-viewed title following its debut the night of Dec. 21, generating 23.9 million views in three days.
“It’s been a truly unparalleled experience introducing Rebel Moon to global audiences and I’m thrilled that the movie is #1 around the world,” Snyder said in a statement. “We have the most dedicated and loyal fans across the world that any filmmaker could ask for, and seeing them consistently be supportive has been an enormously rewarding experience."
Snyder is not wrong about his fanbase, so it's probably not too surprising that Rebel Moon has been so popular on Netflix. Will the sci-fi adventure manage to hold on to the No. 1 spot for long?
Well, despite its strong debut, WhatsOnNetflix.com notes that A Child of Fire attracted significantly fewer viewing equivalents than some of Netflix’s other big action hits of 2023, such as The Mother (42.9M) and Extraction 2 (42.8M). The recently released Leave the World Behind also debuted with stronger numbers in week 1.
From Zack Snyder, the filmmaker behind 300, Man of Steel, and Army of the Dead, comes REBEL MOON, an epic science-fantasy event decades in the making. When a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a mysterious stranger living among the villagers, becomes their best hope for survival.
Tasked with finding trained fighters who will unite with her in making an impossible stand against the Mother World, Kora assembles a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds who share a common need for redemption and revenge. As the shadow of an entire Realm bears down on the unlikeliest of moons, a battle over the fate of a galaxy is waged, and in the process, a new army of heroes is formed.
The heroes of Rebel Moon are: Kora (Sofia Boutella), an Imperium deserter who leaves the peaceful Veldt to fight back; Kai (Charlie Hunnam), a mercenary pilot whose Tawau-Class freighter will prove invaluable to Kora’s quest; Gunnar (Michiel Huisman), a Veldt farmer who knows little of the galaxy outside of his small, quiet corner of the galaxy; General Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a hardened gladiator who once served the Imperium; Tarak (Staz Nair), a noble indentured servant who shares a bond with a flying creature called a Bennu; Nemesis (Doona Bae), a cyborg sword master whose mechanical hands allow her to wield molten-metal weapons; Darrian Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher), an insurgent who has been harrying the Imperium with guerilla attacks; and Milius (E. Duffy), a refugee who seeks justice for their home — a colony that has already fallen to the Mother World.
Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire hits Netflix on December 21. The sequel, Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver, will debut on April 19, 2024.