Matt Damon’s Record-Breaking Sci-Fi Masterpiece Lands at a New Streamer

Director James Cameron recently debunked Matt Damon‘s viral claims about having turned down the first Avatar, and by doing so, missing out on the opportunity to earn hundreds of millions of dollars in backend payments. It would’ve been the highest-grossing film that he has ever been a part of. That title remains with his 2015 blockbuster The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott, at least for a few more months. In July, Damon will headline Christopher Nolan‘s The Odyssey, which is all but guaranteed to become the biggest hit that he has ever starred in. Before the movie debuts on the big screen, Damon’s fans can revisit his magnetic performance in The Martian, which is heading to the Paramount+ streaming service this January.

A decade old now, The Martian was based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Andy Weir. The book followed a stranded astronaut’s efforts to sustain himself on Mars using his wits and intelligence, while his colleagues back home mount a rescue mission. Produced on a reported budget of around $110 million, The Martianmade over $630 million at the global box office. It also earned stupendous reviews, and is now sitting at a “certified fresh” 91% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The site’s consensus reads, “Smart, thrilling, and surprisingly funny, The Martian offers a faithful adaptation of the bestselling book that brings out the best in leading man Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott.”

Ridley Scott Is Returning to Sci-Fi

The Martianearned seven nominations at the Academy Awards, including in the Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay categories. Writer Drew Goddard is returning to pen next year’s spiritual sequel, Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in their first live-action project in over a decade. Damon, meanwhile, will star alongside a host of A-listers in Nolan’s The Odyssey, which recently debuted its first teaser online. Before that, he’ll star alongside his longtime creative partner and buddy Ben Affleck in Joe Carnahan‘s Netflix film The RIP. Scott, on the other hand, is returning to the sci-fi genre with The Dog Stars, featuring Jacob Elordi and Josh Brolin.

You can watch The Martian on Paramount+ from January 1, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.