Scarlett Johansson's $469M Sci-Fi Hit That Made 11x Its Budget Overtakes Global Streaming Charts 12 Years Later

 Scarlett Johansson's $469M Sci-Fi Hit That Made 11x Its Budget Overtakes Global Streaming Charts 12 Years Later

An old Scarlett Johansson action thriller has resurfaced, more than a decade after it was a particularly impressive hit.

Lucy, written and directed by Luc Besson (Léon: The Professional), hit theaters in 2014 and was able to gross 11 times its budget, thanks to this price tag being a comparatively small $40 million. Starring alongside Morgan Freeman, Johansson portrays a woman who is accidentally transformed into a highly evolved warrior by a strange substance that enables her brain to reach its full potential.

Lucy has now reemerged on streaming as a worldwide hit. As of January 30, Lucy is the no. 4 movie in the world on HBO Max, per FlixPatrol. However, Lucy is not available to stream on HBO Max in the U.S., where viewers can rent or purchase it via digital platforms, including Prime Video. Lucy's global streaming success is due to its popularity in other countries, holding the no. 1 spot in 13 regions.

Currently, in the first and second top spots on HBO Max's streaming charts worldwide are Sinners and One Battle After Another, respectively (both are available in the U.S.). As these two movies battle each other for the remaining top prizes this awards season, 33 Photos from the Ghetto comes in at no. 3 and the surprise return streaming hit Death of a Unicorn at no. 4.

Lucy holds a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 47%, making it somewhat divisive. It is still possible to argue that it is one of Scarlett Johansson's best movies, the star being best known for her long-standing role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, as well as achieving acclaim for Marriage Story and Jojo Rabbit on the more awards-aimed side of things.

Johansson was also previously the highest-grossing actor of all time at the worldwide box office, but lost the top spot to Zoe Saldaña following the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash. This contributed significantly to the total gross of all of Saldaña's movies, with its box office being at more than $1.3 billion to date. Johansson's highest-grossing movies are largely Marvel, but this summer's Jurassic World Rebirth was also a hit.