It has been out in theaters for less than one week, and yet fans are already clamoring to know when The Martian will be on Netflix. The space drama starring Matt Damon as astronaut Mark Watney, a man stranded on Mars after a dust storm forces his team home. was highly anticipated for months, and it was finally released on Friday, Oct. 2. An adaptation of the bestselling novel by Andy Weir, the Ridley Scott-directed film easily won the top spot at the weekend box office with $54.3 million. Given its financial success and the fact that The Martian is, by all accounts, heading straight for a date with Oscar, it's not surprising that people are dying to know when they can watch the film from the comfort of their own homes.
According to online reports, an estimated DVD release date for The Martian has been determined as sometime in January of 2016. If that's accurate, then it's unlikely it will become available on Netflix streaming before that month, at the earliest. And if The Martian is nominated for any Academy Awards, it's more likely that the movie won't get to Netflix until after the awards ceremony — so, April 2016, perhaps? I know, I know, that's a long time away, but in the meantime, here are some other space genre movies available to stream on Netflix right now.
Europa Report
Europa Report made a splash when the sci-fi thriller was released in 2013. The film follows a group of astronauts as they look for signs of life on one of Jupiter's moons.
2001: A Space Odyssey
A space genre classic if there ever was one, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey tells the story of man's fight for survival in space, similar to The Martian. However, instead of man versus Mars, 2001 is man versus machine. 2001's title may feel dated, but the 1968 film is more beloved and relevant than ever.
The Last Days On Mars
Unlike 2001 and The Martian, The Last Days on Mars is less man versus space as it is man versus zombie. The thriller starring Liev Schreiber and Olivia Williams is essentially a zombie horror film set on Mars.
Stranded
According to IMDB, Stranded follows a group of astronauts stranded on a Lunar Base, who fall victim to paranoia, hallucinations and alien pregnancies. If you ever wondered what a modern rip off of Alien starring Christian Slater and Brendan Fehr would look like, Stranded is definitely the movie for you.
Love
Love, the directorial debut of William Eubank (The Signal), focuses on astronaut Lee Miller, who finds himself stranded alone in the International Space Station. The film was funded by the band Angels & Airwaves — led by Tom DeLonge, founding member of Blink-182 and firm believer in extra terrestrial life.
For those of you upset that The Martian isn't already on Netflix, get up and go see it on the big screen while you can!
Images: 20th Century Fox
