😱 SHOCKING COMEBACK: Scarlett Johansson’s cursed 1960s NASA rom-com – the $100M disaster critics slaughtered (66% trash!), theaters dumped after a pathetic $40M crawl, and Hollywood laughed off as DOA – is NOW ROCKETING up streaming Top 10s worldwide like a real Apollo blast-off!

Audiences are devouring it (89% LOVE on RT!), spilling secrets about that jaw-dropping fake moon landing twist, sizzling ScarJo-Tatum tension that’ll make you blush, and era drama so juicy it’s got conspiracy nuts raging. Was it sabotaged by big studio egos? Apple’s revenge on flop-hungry theaters? Or the ultimate “we told you so” to snobby critics? 🤯

Everyone’s whispering about THAT ending… you won’t believe how it flips everything! 🔥

Nearly a year and a half after crashing and burning in theaters, Scarlett Johansson and Channing Tatum’s space-age rom-com Fly Me to the Moon is defying gravity once more. The Greg Berlanti-directed flick, which limped to a mere $42.2 million worldwide against a hefty $100 million budget back in July 2024, has re-entered Apple TV+ Top 10 charts in multiple countries as of early January 2026, according to FlixPatrol data. On Jan. 4, it debuted at No. 10 overall, rubbing shoulders with fresh releases like Brad Pitt’s F1.

The film’s improbable resurrection comes amid a post-holiday streaming slowdown, where cozy, lighthearted fare is finding favor with viewers hunkered down at home. While Apple doesn’t release official viewership stats, third-party trackers like FlixPatrol show Fly Me to the Moon climbing lists in places like Australia (previously No. 6), Austria (No. 7), Armenia (No. 1 at one point), Cambodia (No. 4), and parts of Asia. It’s also held strong U.S. positions, lingering in Apple’s domestic Top 10 as recently as July 2025 at No. 9. This follows earlier surges post its Dec. 6, 2024, streaming debut, where it quickly hit Reelgood’s charts and Nielsen’s streaming Top 10.

For a movie once dismissed as a summer casualty – opening to just $10 million domestically amid competition from Despicable Me 4 – the turnaround is a textbook case of theatrical flop turned streaming sleeper. Critics handed it a middling 65-67% on Rotten Tomatoes, griping about a script that juggled rom-com banter, historical nods, and thriller-lite conspiracy vibes too clumsily. “Convoluted” and “belabored,” wrote The New York Times’ Glenn Kenny, though he praised the leads’ screwball chemistry. Metacritic pegged it at 53/100. Audiences, however, begged to differ: 89% on RT (with a Verified Hot badge) and an A- CinemaScore. “Charming crowd-pleaser,” one viewer gushed on IMDb, rating it 7.5/10 for its “lovely looking” visuals and “crazy story.”

The plot, penned by Rose Gilroy from a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein, unfolds in 1969 amid NASA’s Apollo 11 frenzy. Johansson plays Kelly Jones, a slick Madison Avenue ad whiz hired to polish NASA’s image for a doubting public. She clashes – then sparks fly – with Tatum’s by-the-book launch director Cole Davis. Enter Woody Harrelson’s shady White House fixer Moe Berkus, who tasks Kelly with prepping a fake moon landing as Plan B should Armstrong and Aldrin flop. It’s equal parts Mad Men glamour, screwball romance, and wink at moon-landing hoaxers, blending real NASA footage with staged sets for a meta punch. Production shot on location at Kennedy Space Center, with Apollo-era engineers consulting.

Why the theater bust? Rom-coms have thrived lately – Tatum’s The Lost City ($192M), Anyone But You ($220M) – but Fly Me to the Moon got lost in summer blockbuster noise. Trailers leaned too hard into the “fake landing” hook, alienating some and confusing others who smelled flat-Earth bait. Marketing was sparse; Reddit’s r/boxoffice called it a “no hype” bomb from the jump. Originally an Apple TV+ direct-to-streamer (as Project Artemis, with Chris Evans once attached and Jason Bateman directing), strong tests prompted a Sony theatrical pivot in late 2023. Bad call: It opened soft at No. 5, shed screens fast, and never cracked $20M domestic. Analysts blamed the $100M tag – inflated by stars’ pay, period sets, and VFX – against rom-com norms like Anyone But You‘s $25M.

Apple’s hybrid model softened the blow. PVOD hit Aug. 14, 2024; streaming followed five months later. Unlike pure theater bets, streamers view box office as gravy atop subs and algorithms. Killers of the Flower Moon ($157M on $200M+) and Napoleon ($221M) followed similar paths: prestige losses recouped via Apple TV+ buzz. Director Berlanti, TV vet (Riverdale, Love, Simon; his fourth feature), told outlets audiences craved “original” stories amid sequel fatigue. “They were grateful,” he said.

Johansson, 41, co-produced and shines as the fast-talking Kelly, channeling her rom-com roots (Lost in Translation, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, He’s Just Not That Into You). Post-Black Widow MCU exit, 2025’s Jurassic World Rebirth crowned her Hollywood’s top-grossing lead ever ($14.3B+ lifetime). Tatum, 45, flexes opposites-attract charm post-Magic Mike, Deadpool & Wolverine Gambit cameo; he’s eyeing Avengers: Doomsday (Dec. 2026) and Secret Wars (2027). Harrelson chews scenery as the conspiratorial Moe; Ray Romano and Jim Rash add comic relief.

Supporting cast and crew elevate the gloss: 1960s cars, costumes, split-screens evoke era authenticity. Archival Apollo clips amp tension; the launch sequence pulses with real stakes. At 2h12m PG-13, it’s family-viewing gold – witty, nostalgic, conspiracy-teasing without endorsing. X (formerly Twitter) buzz is light but positive; a Dec. 2025 post hailed it “fantastic… great fun.” CBR’s Jan. 4 article spotlighted the chart return: “Sleeper hit rom-com… exploding back.”

This isn’t isolated. Streamers reward delayed discovery: Napoleon, Wolfs (Pitt/Clooney) took similar routes. Post-holiday timing helps – lighter vibes beat awards heavies. Space fever lingers too: Private missions, NASA news keep Apollo relevant. Johansson’s draw persists; her directorial debut Eleanor the Great eyes 2025 Cannes.

Will it spark sequels or awards whispers? Unlikely – no 2026 Critics’ Choice nod yet. But for Apple, it’s validation: Theatrical splashes build long-tail value. As one analyst noted, with Apple’s $3.6T market cap, $100M is “fractions of a percent.” Johansson told EW the fake-landing gag got NASA’s okay – “They loved it.” Tatum echoed: Chemistry carried it.

Fly Me to the Moon streams exclusively on Apple TV+. In a sequel-saturated era, its original hook endures. Hollywood’s lesson? Sometimes flops orbit back as hits. Johansson and Tatum prove star power – and a good conspiracy – can launch anywhere.