Dakota Johnson has opened up about Madame Web and the failure of the latest release from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, talking about what went wrong.
Madame Web star Dakota Johnson has shared her honest thoughts on making the movie and its negative reception. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe is doing right by Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has now released a string of disappointing movies. As Madame Web’s negative reviews and extremely low box office show, the film failed to find an audience, and the movie’s star has gotten candid about that.
Speaking to Bustle, Johnson revealed that she will probably never make a movie like Madame Web again. The actress talked about her experience making the film and revealed the conclusion she got to after the whole process, saying, “I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.” Johnson’s words — and the movie’s negative reception — make Madame Web 2 happening impossible, and the actress seems fine with that, as she revealed that she understands the criticism the movie has faced. Check out the full quote below:
“But 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? But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”
Dakota Johnson Explains Why Madame Web Has Been So Negatively Received
The SSU Movie Broke Negative Records
Johnson said that it felt bad to be part of a movie that has been “ripped to shreds,” as was Madame Web’s case. During the interview, the star of the SSU’s latest movie further elaborated on why the film ended up being received so negatively. Asked about if she gets bothered by bad reviews, Johnson revealed that she was not surprised that Madame Web’s reception was bad.
The actress then explained what she meant by that, saying, “decisions are being made by committees [in big movies], and art does not do well when it’s made by committee.” Johnson’s stance on the topic is that audiences are smart enough to realize when something is not what it is being sold out to be and that executives do not believe audiences will catch on to that. This interestingly connects to Madame Web’s marketing having teased the four Spider-Man-like heroines only for the movie to feature them briefly. Check out the full quote below:
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 committee. Films are made by a filmmaker and a team of artists around them. You cannot make art based on numbers and algorithms. My feeling has been for a long time that audiences are extremely smart, and executives have started to believe that they’re not. Audiences will always be able to sniff out bullsh*t.
Madame Web has broken negative records for the SSU and Spider-Man-related movies, ranging from box office to reviews, which puts the universe in a negative light. After Morbius received heavy criticism, Madame Web’s even worse performance should sound an alarm for the SSU’s future, with Kraven the Hunter and Venom 3 still set for release in 2024. Madame Web’s failure could have soured audiences on the SSU for good.
