Ahead of the film's release on Netflix, the hype for Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon: A Child of Fire- the first installment in a two-part film, was through the roof. As such, Netflix made a big marketing push for the project.
In terms of statistics, the film was a success as it garnered 23.9M views in its first three days of release, making it the 9th-best debut for a Netflix film in 2023.
However, critics were less than kind, with A Child of Fire currently sitting at a 21% approval rating on the Rotten Tomatoes aggregate website. Review scores for the film averaged to 3.2 out of 5.
Actress Sofia Boutella (Argylle, Atomic Blonde) was at the forefront of the film's marketing mush as the main star and in a new interview with Vulture, she's opening up about how the large amount of negative reviews impacted her.
Said Boutella, "I always thought that I was fully armed to take on those punches, and then I read the critics that came down on Rebel Moon and it really affected me."
She went on to add, "And I'm just gonna be honest about it. I feel like I'm carrying it for everybody that cared so much about this project, and that's what affected me. Not the way I look. If anything, I've been pretty lucky and people like my work in it, but the movie was criticized. It really affected me for all of those who put so much heart, tears, and sweat in this project. It's hard to see something being demolished to that extent. I'm proud to have been part of it, and if there is no more Rebel Moon, it will be a very important part of my life that I will defend forever."
Both Rebel Moon Part 1: A Child of Fire and Rebel Moon Part 2: The Scargiver will have a director's cut that will be released in the Spring. Each will receive more than an hour's worth of additional content.
Perhaps this additional footage will address the criticism surrounding the film which is chiefly centered on the movie's basic and at some points, nonsensical story.
A Child of Fire was released by Netflix on December 22, 2023. The Scargiver will drop on April 19, 2024.
The Rebel Moon cast includes Boutella as Kora- the primary protagonist of the film, and Fra Fee (Hawkeye) as Regent Balisarius- the film's primary antagonist.
Also starring in the film are Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword), Michiel Huisman (World War Z, Game of Thrones), Djimon Hounsou (Shazam), Doona Bae (Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas), Ray Fisher (Justice League), Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man on Earth, Cobweb), Jena Malone (Sucker Punch, Neon Demon), Ed Skrein (Deadpool, Alita: Battle Angel), and Anthony Hopkins (Thor: Ragnarok, The Rite).
About Rebel Moon: 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.