It’s always easy to look back in hindsight at our mistakes and realize how we should have done things differently, and Charlize Theron is having one of those moments while looking back at Aeon Flux. Back in 2005, Theron starred in the film which was a live-action adaptation of the MTV animated series. Theron stars as the titular warrior in a story set in a post-apocalyptic 2415, following a deadly virus’s decimation of humanity centuries prior.
Aeon Flux wasn’t a hit at the box office, failing to earn back its budget in its theatrical run. Worse yet for the adaptation, it was pummeled with negative reviews, as critics were not impressed. It sits with an abysmal 9% score at Rotten Tomatoes, showing just how reviled the film was upon its release. But none of that was surprising for Theron, according to the Oscar winner herself.
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In a new interview with THR, Theron spoke about the pressure of coming into an adaptation of a “brilliant” TV series, clearly a fan of the source material. At the time, Theron says she was trying to shed the “depressing” image she had. She refers to the story of when, as a teenager, Theron witnessed her mother shooting her father in self-defense after he came home drunk and threatened them with a gun. For the Monster star, taking on Aeon Flux was not just exciting as a fan, but it was also a way to try and create a new image for herself as someone who doesn’t need to be pitied. Unfortunately, she realized during filming that the film was ill-fated.
Aeon Flux’s Transition Into Live-Action Didn’t Work Out Well
At the time, Theron felt that she just had to make it to the end of production, feeling that turning the tide of the project’s quality was out of her hands. She now feels she should have instead taken the bull by the horns as Tom Cruise would have done, insisting that changes be made until she was happier with what they were doing.
Aeon Flux is streaming on HBO Max.
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