When Anya Taylor-Joy signed on to star in a massive science-fiction epic with a reported budget of around $168 million, expectations were sky-high. The film was positioned as a bold, visually striking blockbuster meant to dominate the box office and launch a new franchise. Instead, despite solid reviews and praise for its ambition, it stumbled in theaters and was quickly labeled a financial disappointment. What seemed like a costly misfire has now taken an unexpected turn, as the movie has exploded in popularity after arriving on Netflix, proving that sometimes a story just needs the right audience and the right platform to truly shine.
At the time of its theatrical release, the film had everything going for it on paper. Anya Taylor-Joy was riding high from a string of acclaimed performances, and the sci-fi genre has long been a favorite among moviegoers. The production was lavish, packed with cutting-edge visual effects, detailed world-building, and an epic scope that suggested a future filled with sequels and spin-offs. Critics were largely impressed by its style, atmosphere, and Taylor-Joy’s performance, but ticket sales told a different story. Whether due to marketing missteps, competition from other releases, or shifting audience habits, the movie failed to recoup its enormous budget in theaters.
For a while, it seemed like this ambitious project would be remembered primarily as a cautionary tale about how even well-reviewed films can struggle in the modern box-office climate. Studios have increasingly found that audiences are more selective about what they see in theaters, especially when it comes to original science-fiction stories that aren’t tied to a familiar franchise. Despite the film’s critical reception and the star power of its lead, it simply didn’t manage to break through the noise of an overcrowded release calendar.