When Charlize Theron’s superhero film The Old Guard was released, it had all the makings of a movie blockbuster – categorised by its strong female leads, a revolutionary portrayal of LGBTQ relationships and its diverse women behind the camera. Now, Netflix has revealed the film has broken some major records and is sitting in its top 10 most popular films ever.
“The Old Guard is breaking records!” the streaming service announced. “The Charlize Theron blockbuster is already among the top 10 most popular Netflix films ever – and Gina Prince-Bythewood is the first Black female director on the list.”
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka, the revolutionary thriller follows Theron as a warrior leading a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die who have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries.
Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is the first Black woman to make it onto that acclaimed list, with the film being watched over 72 million times in its first four weeks.
Prince-Bythewood is now lined up to helm The Woman King starring Oscar-winner Viola Davis. Variety reports that the film is inspired by true historical events which took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Theron’s film has also been praised for its groundbreaking LGBTQ+ representation, rarely included in action movies.
The actress celebrated the milestone by sharing a meme of herself in character downing a bottle of vodka captioned “Friday night”, alongside a photo of her character covered in blood with “Monday morning”.
The Old Guard is available to stream on Netflix.
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