Kevin Costners Horizon Beats Furiosa at the Streaming Game on Netflix After Both Flopped in Theaters

Kevin Costner's Horizon Beats Furiosa at the Streaming Game on Netflix After Both Flopped in Theaters

After the emergence of streaming services, people needed a compelling reason to spend money and several hours watching a movie in a theater. Many blockbusters, including Kevin Costner's Western Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 and Furiosa: A Mad Max Story, did not achieve the expected box office numbers, making 2024 a guessing game.

The two movies had the potential to be box office successes on paper. a well-known pre-existing IP (in the case of Furiosa), a cast full of celebrities, and substantial budgets. After their disappointing theatrical run, Furiosa: A Mad Max Story and Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 were released on Netflix last week and achieved success, breaking into the top 10.

With 4 million views worldwide—or 12 million hours viewed given its three-hour duration—Chapter 1 of the Horizon franchise came in at number seven. After Carry-On and The Six Triple Eight, Horizon finished third in the United States.

With 3.8 million views, or 9.3 million hours viewed, Furiosa, which was also released on Netflix in the United States the same week as Horizon, lost the battle and was only able to maintain its ninth-place ranking. With 3.7 million views, it finished just behind the animated Christmas fantasy film That Christmas and ahead of In the Heart of the Sea, another Chris Hemsworth film that topped the Top 10. After Horizon, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga came in fourth place in the United States.

After disappointing theatrical runs, both films found some relief on streaming services. After its digital release, Chapter 1 of Horizon garnered some attention and, by late August, was the tenth most popular film on streaming services. Following its success on VOD, Furiosa was also well-received on Max after its late August release. Fans kept it in the top 10 for a few weeks.

Furiosa and Horizon Did Not Do Well at the Box Office

Despite receiving a favorable reception from viewers, Horizon: An American Saga: Chapter 1 did not perform well at the box office, despite being the first installment in a Western franchise. The first installment of the Kevin Costner-directed movie received a "rotten" rating of 51% from critics and 70% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, without accounting for marketing and distribution expenses, the film only made $31.4 million of its $50 million budget (via The Numbers).

Due to both its positive reviews and its larger budget, Furiosa's theatrical disappointment was more severe. With an 89% audience approval rating and a 90% critic approval rating, the movie received a great reception and is currently certified fresh. Regretfully, it only made $172.4 million globally, barely covering its $168 million budget and failing to turn a profit (source: The Numbers).

Netflix is streaming Chapter 1 of Furiosa and Horizon.