Anya Taylor-Joy's Sci-Fi Thriller Becomes 280-Day Streaming Hit

Anya Taylor-Joy has been as busy as any star in 2026, and that non-stop schedule will only continue later this year with the release of Dune: Part Three on December 18. Taylor-Joy made a splash with her return to theaters this year in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which was also the first feature film of 2026 to reach $1 billion at the global box office. Taylor-Joy then returned to TV for the Apple TV crime thriller Lucky (co-starring Timothy Olyphant), but despite rock-solid viewership, the show's fate beyond Season 1 has still not been decided. Just last week, Taylor-Joy returned to Netflix for her Queen's Gambit follow-up with Sacrifice, the action-adventure thriller co-starring Chris Evans. The film is already #1 in dozens of countries around the world.

Part of what made Anya Taylor-Joy's return to Apple TV this year for Lucky so exciting was her success with her first project on the platform, The Gorge. Co-starring Miles Teller from Top Gun: Maverick, The Gorge is like John Wick meets The Last of Us in all the best ways. The film features top-notch action from its leads and supporting cast, while also offering an intriguing post-apocalyptic premise for those who adore a dystopian world. The Gorge premiered exclusively on Apple TV last Valentine's Day, the same day Captain America: Brave New World hit theaters, and the film is still one of the most-watched titles in the world. As of mid-October, The Gorge has been in the Apple TV top 10 in at least one country for over 280 days, making it one of the most successful streaming hits of 2026.

What Is 'The Gorge' About?

In addition to Anya Taylor-Joy and Miles Teller, The Gorge also stars sci-fi icon Sigourney Weaver, best known for her roles in the Avatar and Alien franchises. Zach Dean wrote the script for The Gorge and Scott Derrickson directed the film. Derrickson is best known for directing the first Doctor Strange movie and for directing Ethan Hawke's Black Phone films. The official synopsis for The Gorge, which holds mediocre scores of 62% from critics and 74% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, reads as follows:

“Two highly-trained operatives (Miles Teller and Anya Taylor-Joy) are appointed to posts in guard towers on opposite sides of a vast and highly classified gorge, protecting the world from an undisclosed, mysterious evil that lurks within. They bond from a distance while trying to stay vigilant in defending against an unseen enemy. When the cataclysmic threat to humanity is revealed to them, they must work together in a test of both their physical and mental strength to keep the secret in the gorge before it's too late.”