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Charlize Theron Starred in One of the Worst Book Adaptations of the 21st Century — Now It’s Heading to New Streaming Home

2025-12-01 00:20
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Charlize Theron Starred in One of the Worst Book Adaptations of the 21st Century — Now It’s Heading to New Streaming Home

Charlize Theron attempted to recreate the success of Gone Girl for herself with the film Dark Places, which tanked critically and commercially.

Charlize Theron Starred in One of the Worst Book Adaptations of the 21st Century — Now It’s Heading to New Streaming Home Charlize Theron sits in the drivers seat of a car with the window rolled down in Dark Places Charlize Theron sits in the drivers seat of a car with the window rolled down in Dark Places 4 By  Rahul Malhotra Published 50 minutes ago Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema. 

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him). Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

A year after the blockbuster success of Gone Girl, adapted from Gillian Flynn's best-selling mystery novel, star Charlize Theron headlined a mostly forgotten Flynn adaptation herself. While Gone Girl earned more than $370 million globally, becoming the highest-grossing film of director David Fincher's career, Theron's Dark Places adaptation generated only $5 million a year later. The movie was directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, and was released domestically by A24. But it opened to terrible reviews, and remains the least-successful Flynn adaptation yet. Interestingly, Theron would go on to collaborate with Fincher as an executive producer on their cult classic Netflix thriller series Mindhunter, which remains in limbo after two acclaimed seasons. While the show's fans clamor for a return, Dark Places has slipped further through the cracks of pop-culture. It will re-emerge on the free Tubi streaming service this December.

Released in 2015, mere months after the success of Gone Girl, Dark Places grossed just $5 million against a reported budget of $12 million. It's now sitting at a 23% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "Dark Places has a strong cast and bestselling source material, but none of it adds up to more than a mediocre thriller that gets tripped up on its own twists." The movie follows a traumatized survivor of a family tragedy who is pulled back into the past against her will. Dark Places also features Chloë Grace Moretz, Nicholas Hoult, Tye Sheridan, Christina Hendricks, and Corey Stoll.

Charlize Theron Will Next Star in Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey'

Dark Places remains the worst-rated and least-remembered adaptation of Flynn's books. The author also wrote the source novel behind the acclaimed HBO limited series Sharp Objects, which was headlined by Amy Adams, created by Marti Noxon, and directed by the late Jean-Marc Vallée. Theron's last starring vehicle was the poorly received (and long-delayed) Netflix sequel The Old Guard 2. The film's production was briefly shut down by the streamer, but it was eventually released earlier this year, albeit to terrible reviews. She will next appear alongside a star-studded ensemble in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, which is set for release next year.

You can watch Dark Places on Tubi beginning December 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

dark-places-poster-charlize-theron.jpg

Dark Places

Like R Drama Mystery Thriller Crime Release Date March 31, 2015 Runtime 113 minutes Director Gilles Paquet-Brenner Writers Gilles Paquet-Brenner, Gillian Flynn

Cast

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  • instar53980768.jpg Charlize Theron
  • Cast Placeholder Image Nicholas Hault
  • instar50696203.jpg Corey Stoll
  • instar52058334.jpg Chloe Grace Moretz

Genres Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime Powered by ScreenRant logo Expand Collapse Follow Followed Like Share Facebook X WhatsApp Threads Bluesky LinkedIn Reddit Flipboard Copy link Email Close Thread Sign in to your Collider account

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