Although Halle Berry is an Oscar-winning actress! It was also her behind-the-camera skills that caught Netflix's attention in a big way. His directorial debut - the sports drama Bruised - debuted on Netflix last week and the streamer was clearly impressed with the result.
The news broke earlier today that Berry has signed a deal to make more movies for Netflix in the near future.
The news comes from Deadline. Where it reports that Netflix closed the deal with Halle Berry following the incredible success of Bruised among streaming audiences. The website reports that the film has been watched by a staggering 47 countries. 7 million hours in the first five days. It quickly took first place in the Netflix movie, also reaching number one in 20 other countries and reaching number two on Netflix's Global English Film list. Unsurprisingly, the streamer responded by striking a deal with Berry for her to produce and star in more movies.
Will Halle Berry return to the director's chair?
The deadline did not provide concrete figures on the deal, however, nor is there any word on whether or not Berry plans to return to the director's chair for more Netflix features.
Bruised stars Halle Berry as Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter. Though her life doesn't seem to be going anywhere at the start of the film, she does find the will to crawl her way back to the top after being reunited with her son. Bruised includes two creative debuts – not only is it Berry's directorial debut, but also Michelle Rosenfarb's writing debut.
Despite its streaming success, Bruised has not proven to be a champion among reviewers. The sports drama currently has an unimpressive 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with no audience scores yet compiled. Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post insists that "the only reason you like this hot mess of a person is that it's [Halle Berry] who plays her". Daniel M. Kimmel of North Shore Movies hopes Berry will "find a better script or even write one" next time, while Roxana Hadadi of Polygon laments the actress's "continuously tragic manner" in the film. But can you – one might ask – argue with 47.7 million hours of watch time in five days?
Next movie totally different from Bruised!
Plus, Halle Berry's next big movie promises to be very different from Bruised. Berry will star as NASA exec and former astronaut Jo Fowler in next year's epic sci-fi disaster moonfall.
Directed by Roland Emmerich - the same filmmaker who brought us Independence Day - Moonfall will find Berry teaming up with Patrick Wilson (Aquaman) and John Bradley (Game of Thrones) to discover why Earth's Moon is colliding with the planet it orbits. . Opening in theaters in February 2022, Moonfall will also star Michael Peña, Donald Sutherland, Charlie Plummer, Wenwen Yu and Eme Ikwuakor.
After Moonfall, Halle Berry is staying in the sci-fi world, although this time the threat comes from her own home. Namely, in The Mothership, Berry will star as Sara Morse, whose life is turned upside down when her husband disappears without explanation. Written and directed by Matt Presidente – the Academy Award-nominated writer for 2015's Bridge of Spies – The Mothership is set to release next year on Netflix.
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