Ridley Scott’s Divisive Sci-Fi Prequel Finds Huge Streaming Success

More than a decade after its theatrical release, Ridley Scott‘s ambitious return to the Alien universe is experiencing a major resurgence on streaming platforms. The 2012 film, which initially divided critics and audiences alike, has now found a massive global audience on Netflix.

Prometheus is topping Netflix’s streaming chart

According to data from FlixPatrol, Prometheus is officially dominating Netflix’s global film rankings. The Ridley Scott film entered the charts on February 17 and shot straight to the top the very next day. It secured the No. 1 spot in several territories across Central and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, demonstrating that the film’s reach extends far beyond its initial theatrical run.

Notably, the entire Alien franchise is enjoying a renaissance on streaming platforms. Alien: Romulus (2024) has been performing strongly on Prime Video. Meanwhile, 2017’s Alien: Covenant, Scott’s follow-up to Prometheus, is topping PVOD charts in Moldova and holding strong in Cyprus and Namibia.

As the fifth installment in the Alien series, Prometheus is Scott’s return to directing the franchise he launched with the 1979 original. The expectations were astronomical. Marketed as connected to the beloved Alien mythology, the film arrived with a promise to explore deeper origins.

However, Ridley Scott himself insisted it was not an Alien prequel. The movie deliberately avoided the familiar Xenomorph iconography, instead introducing new characters and posing grand, ambiguous philosophical questions about humanity’s creators. It teased answers about the Xenomorphs’ origins but left them open-ended, frustrating some fans.

Despite the mixed reactions, Prometheus Netflix success mirrors its initial commercial performance. The film was far from a failure, grossing $403.4 million worldwide against a $120–130 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). It holds a 73% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audience scores trailing closely at 68%. Backed by a star-studded cast including Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, and Charlize Theron, the film has found its audience over time.

Source: Comingsoon.net