Dakota Johnson ‘Not Surprised’ Marvel’s ‘Madame Web’ Flopped; Reveals Why She Thinks It Failed
"Madame Web" was released in the United States on Valentine's Day but did not seem to get the love from moviegoers -- and its lead star shared the possible reason why.
Dakota Johnson, who played the titular role in the recently released Marvel movie, had an exclusive interview with Bustle for a cover story. In one part of her interview, she talked about "Madame Web" -- its premiere, the reviews it received and the possible reason it struggled at the box office.
"Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that this has gone down the way it has," she responded when asked if she was bothered about the "nasty reviews" some people wrote about her film.
Introducing Bustle’s March cover star, Dakota Johnson – the actor sat down with @charlowen to talk @teatimepictures, her new book club, and having a ‘who gives a f*ck’ public persona.https://t.co/WAKHdaRtsQ
— Bustle (@bustle) March 5, 2024
She continued, "It's so hard to get movies made, and in these big movies that get made -- and it's even starting to happen with the little ones, which is what's really freaking me out -- decisions are being made by committees, and art does not do well when it's made by committees."
"Films are made by a filmmaker and a team of artists around them. You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms," she quipped.
The 34-year-old actress also stated that the audience these days is "extremely smart" to be able to "sniff out bullsh*t."
Talking about her Marvel film, she said she will "probably never do anything like it again" but considered it "a real learning experience."
"...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?'" she said.
In January, she told Entertainment Weekly that she has "never really done a movie where [she is] on a blue screen and fake explosions are going off" but trusted her director, S.J. Clarkson.
"That, to me, was absolutely psychotic. I was like, 'I don't know if this is going to be good at all! I hope that I did an okay job!' But I trusted her. She works so hard, and she has not taken her eyes off this movie since we started," Johnson explained.
"Madame Web" did not do well and now holds the record for the lowest-ever superhero box office opening from Sony Pictures, per CNN.
For its opening week, the film only achieved $26.2 million in gross domestic sales and lost to the strong opening for "Bob Marley: One Love."
