Over 45 Million People Watched Bird Box in First Week, Says Netflix

Screen Rant

By Eric Trigg

Published Dec 31, 2018

Netflix breaks viewing records after more than 45 million users stream the brand new thriller Bird Box during the first seven days of its release.

Over 45 million people have watched the latest addition to Netflix's original film library, Bird Box. Since debuting last week, the post-apocalyptic thriller has become a viral sensation - and now, the stats speak for themselves.

Directed by Danish filmmaker Susanne Bier, Bird Box is based on a 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. With a familiar lineup of stars including Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, and Trevante Rhodes, the movie focuses on unseen entities that are causing members of society to kill themselves after taking the form of a victim's worst fears or regrets. Essentially, anyone who sets their eyes on these entities dies. Bullock stars as Malorie, a woman who must get herself and her children to safety, all the while blindfolded to avoid seeing at the supernatural entities. Now, while Netflix is usually quiet about its streaming figures, the streaming platform couldn't help but announce the record number of views that Bird Box has achieved.

Netflix revealed on their official Twitter account that over 45 million users have viewed the movie since it was released seven days ago. This has allowed Bird Box to set a new record for the streaming giant, and despite receiving mixed reviews, there is no denying that the sci-fi film has found an audience. To celebrate the achievement, Netflix tweeted the following:

The film jumps between two time periods, first showing the outbreak's initial effects and then following Malorie's attempts at getting her children to safety. Upon release, Bird Box was heavily compared to John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, which also follows mysterious creatures causing society to suppress one of the five senses. Staying true to her tendency to include optimistic endings in most of her movies, Bier slightly adjusted the ending of Malerman's debut novel, and wrapped the story on a more hopeful note. She has recently defended her decision to make those changes.

Usually, the streaming giant keeps its lips shut regarding figures, but the success of Bird Box caught everyone by surprise. Countless memes have been inspired by the film, and the trend only continues to grow with each passing moment. Netflix certainly has a hit on their hands, so fans of this latest project shouldn't be surprised if a sequel ever materializes (and even though there has been no word on a possible sequel, the ending definitely leaves the door open for more to be told). As for anyone who isn't one of those 45 million viewers, there's no time like the present to see what all the fuss is about.

More: Bird Box Almost Showed The Creature - Here's What It Would Have Looked Like

Source: Netflix