Featured Image Credit: Sony Pictures
Topics: Dakota Johnson, Film and TV, Marvel
Callum Jones
Dakota Johnson has explained why she reckons Madame Web performed so poorly at box office and made it clear the blame does not lie with her.
The 2024 film grossed a disappointing $100 million worldwide against a rumored production budget of between $80 and $100 million.
Madame Web also reviewed extremely poorly among both fans and critics alike, with the flick sitting at a shockingly low 11 percent Rotten Tomatoes score.
Such reviews came as a surprise to fans considering big names in Hollywood such as Johnson, Sydney Sweeney and Emma Roberts were all involved in the project.
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Johnson, who played New York paramedic Cassandra Webb in the movie, has since laid the blame for Madame Web's performance on people who 'don’t have a creative bone in their body'.
She told the Los Angeles Times: "It wasn’t my fault. There’s this thing that happens now where a lot of creative decisions are made by committee. Or made by people who don’t have a creative bone in their body. And it’s really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way.
"And I think unfortunately with Madame Web, it started out as something and turned into something else. And I was just sort of along for the ride at that point. But that happens. Bigger-budget movies fail all the time."
Roberts, who starred as Mary Parker in the movie alongside Johnson, has also spoke previously about why she feels Madame Web was a flop.
"Things work; things don’t work. Everyone likes to act like they can predict if they’re going to work or they’re not. And the truth is, you can’t," the actor told Variety.
"Things do badly, and then they blow up later on TikTok. Things do well, but then you watch them, and you’re like, ‘This did well?’"
Roberts continued: "There is no secret. It’s about doing something goodish and it hitting at the right time. Everything else is like a wish and a prayer.
"I’m not intimidated by failure, and I’m not intimidated by people having negative thoughts about something."
As for Johnson, the whole experience with Madame Web has put her off working on such a title ever again.
The actor told Bustle last year: "It was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world.
“And I know that now. But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, Wait, what?”
UNILAD has reached out to Sony Pictures for comment.