When Madame Web premiered in February, it became a box office and a critical failure. The superhero film’s producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura opens up about Madame Web’s backlash and the “brutalness of failure.”
The MCU experienced flops in 2023 with movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels. While Deadpool & Wolverine could help Marvel bounce back, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe could use some luck.
At SDCC 2024, Madame Web producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura expressed to ComicBook his disappointment in the movie flopping:
“Yeah, that was a heartbreaking experience in the theater. So I’ll tell you that,” said Bonaventura. “Like an ax in the head.”
Madame Web had expectations of grossing $20-25 million during its six-day opening. It managed to make $25.8 during that timeframe but then dropped 61% in its second weekend at $6 million. On a reported budget of $80-100 million, the superhero movie only made $100.3 million. On the other hand, Madame Web hit Netflix‘s #1 spot when it streamed there. The Transformers One producer explained the “brutalness of failure” with box office numbers compared to streaming:
“I think one of the things, and, and this is a longer conversation which I’d be happy to have. I think one of the problems with streaming is that we don’t know how to judge failure or success, right? Opening weekend when it doesn’t work, you just got slammed side of your head,” said the G.I. Joe series producer. “And so the brutalness of failure really makes you concentrate on the next movie. And I don’t want that experience again. So there’s a, it’s a harsher experience. So I think that has a lot to do with what kind of movies now that I look at, like, all right, how am I gonna approach this?”
What do the stars of Madame Web have to say about the movie?
Dakota Johnson, who played the movie’s title role, reacted to her movie’s negative response saying she probably won’t take part in superhero movies anymore and that she understands why Madame Web flopped:
“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.”
Sydney Sweeney, who played Julia Cornwall, gave a more straightforward response with no ill feelings about the movie’s poor reception:
“I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen.”
Emma Roberts, who played Peter Parker’s mom Mary, defended Madame Web and blamed the internet culture for why the film failed:
“I personally really loved Madame Web. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought everyone in it was great. The director, S.J. Clarkson, I think, did an amazing job. She’s the reason I wanted to do that movie,” said Roberts. “If it wasn’t for internet culture and everything being made into a joke, I think that the reception would’ve been different. And that’s what bums me out about a lot of stuff, even stuff that I’ve done, is people just make such a joke out of everything now.”
Madame Web is available to stream now on Netflix.