Scarlett Johansson’s Bonkers Sci-Fi Hit That Grossed 10x Its Budget Levels Up on Streaming

Scarlett Johansson’s ascension up the Hollywood ladder shouldn’t come as a surprise. Not only did she play a pivotal role in the first few phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but she also secured a number of tentpole-level budgets for a range of blockbuster films. Her stature remains unchallenged; just last year, she headlined the $225 million action-adventure film Jurassic World Rebirth, and the assumption is that she’ll return for any potential sequels as well. However, during her time as Black Widow in the MCU, she also starred in a couple of major sci-fi movies. One of them, the would-be franchise-starter Ghost in the Shell, emerged as an underperformer. The other film was a surprise hit. It remains popular even more than a decade later, as can be seen from its recent performance on streaming.

Originally released in 2014, the French production also featured Morgan Freeman and the South Korean legend Choi Min-sik. It was based on the myth that human beings use only a fraction of their brain power, and that if they were to operate at full potential, they would be indistinguishable from superheroes. In the movie, Johansson’s character gains access to untapped corners of her brain and uses her newfound power to take down a menacing drug lord. Produced on a reported budget of $40 million, the 90-minute sci-fi movie grossed around $470 million worldwide.

Here’s Where You Can Watch Scarlett Johansson’s Sci-Fi Blockbuster

We’re talking, of course, about Lucy. The film was directed by Luc Besson, who was eventually disgraced for sexual assault allegations. Lucy divided critics; some appreciated its campy tone, while others found it too silly to recommend. It now holds a 67% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads, “Enthusiastic and silly, Lucy powers through the movie’s logic gaps with cheesy thrills plus Scarlett Johansson’s charm – and mostly succeeds at it.” According to FlixPatrol, Lucy is currently among the most-watched movies on Netflix in the United States. Aside from any potential Jurassic World Rebirth follow-ups, Johansson is set to star in Disney’s Tower of Terror and Mike Flanagan’s untitled Exorcist movie.

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