The Matrix spawned countless copycats and clones after its release in 1999. Now, one of the film’s most underwhelming replacements, Jupiter Ascending, is somehow rising on the streaming charts.
The ill-fated 2015 franchise-starter is ascending HBO Max’s list of most popular films. According to FlixPatrol, Jupiter Ascending is currently the platform’s No. 5 most-streamed movie in the world. It is only available on HBO Max in international territories. There are currently no streaming services in the United States that offer Jupiter Ascending for no extra charge.
Jupiter Ascending Is One of the Worst Matrix Clones of All Time
Much like The Matrix, Jupiter Ascending stars a seemingly regular protagonist, in this case played by Mila Kunis, who suddenly discovers that she is the key to the salvation of a fantastical world she never knew existed. The film follows Kunis’s Jupiter Jones as she teams up with Caine (Channing Tatum) to rescue the cosmos from a villainous trio of siblings intent on ruling everything in the known universe.
While Jupiter Ascending was meant to launch a full-scale franchise on par with The Matrix, it crashed and burned in its first installment. The film became one of the biggest memes of 2015, leading to endless online ridicule. Critics weren’t fond of the film either, awarding it a measly 27% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Viewers were seemingly in agreement, criticizing the movie’s shoddy script, bland worldbuilding, and general ridiculousness.
What really solidified Jupiter Ascending‘s dismal fate, however, was its lack of box office appeal. Against a lofty budget estimated to be as high as $210 million, the film earned only $184 million at the worldwide box office. Since most movies have to make at least double their production budget to be considered profitable (by some counts, it’s actually two-and-a-half times their budget), Jupiter Ascending cost Warner Bros. hundreds of millions of dollars.
Jupiter Ascending‘s utter failure is made all the more unbelievable by the fact that it was written, directed, and co-produced by the Wachowskis, who helmed the original Matrix movies. It seems that the directorial pair lost their touch for building fresh and innovative franchises somewhere between 1999 and 2015.
Why Is Jupiter Ascending Rising on the Streaming Charts?
It’s unclear why exactly audiences are returning to Jupiter Ascending eleven years after its underwhelming premiere. It is of note that international audiences are the ones driving its recent streaming success. While the film was a flop by every metric, it performed much better overseas than it did in North America. Given that it is a relatively new addition to HBO Max’s international library, some nostalgic audiences may be revisiting the movie to make up their own minds about its abysmal legacy.
Jupiter Ascending‘s streaming success won’t be enough to renew interest in the franchise, however. The film has established a legacy for itself as one of the worst box office bombs of all time. No studio will touch this property with a ten-foot pole, even more than a decade after the film flopped.
Jupiter Ascending is available to stream on HBO Max.