Netflix’s thriller Bird Box had the biggest seven-day viewership of all of the platform’s original movie releases.
Bird Box had over 45 million member accounts watching the Sandra Bullock movie in the first week, the company said on Friday.
Related: Sandra Bullock’s ‘Bird Box’ Casting Call for a Lead Speaking Role
Netflix released Bird Box on December 21st and became an instant hit over the Christmas break. The Sandra Bullock movie also spawned a series of internet memes with dozens of videos posted on Instagram poking fun at the premise of the show.
In Bird Box, Bullock is a single mom trying to save her kid’s lives after mysterious forces invade Each and cause people to kill themselves. Survivors of this new post-apocalyptic world must wear blindfolds or the supernatural monsters that take the form of their deepest fears once they make eye contact.
“Took off my blindfold this morning to discover that 45,037,125 Netflix accounts have already watched Bird Box — best first seven days ever for a Netflix film!” the Netflix Film account on Twitter boasted Friday.
It is important to note, Netflix does not release viewing data on a regular basis, and analysts can not independently verify the 45 million stats. Moreover, it is unclear what it means for an account to have “watched” a TV show or movie.
If 45 million Netflix accounts did watch the Sandra Bullock movie, that would represent about one-third of the company’s 137.1 million total subscribers.
Susanne Brier directed Bird Box based on Josh Malerman’s 2014 novel of the same name. The cast includes Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, John Malkovich, Jacki Weaver, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, BD Wong, Machine Gun Kelly, and Tom Hollander.
Bird Box has received mixed reviews, with a 66% favorable critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes (and a 74% audience approval rating).
Casting directors held casting calls for the lead speaking roles as it filmed in Austin, Texas. At the time, casting directors were looking for 4 to 6-year-old kid actors.
“We are looking for Caucasian or Hispanic boys in this age range who are comfortable around new people, are not shy talking to adults, and are able to follow direction,” the casting call read.
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