Sony’s “Madame Web” starring Dakota Johnson, tells the story of Cassandra Webb, a paramedic who gains the ability to see the future after a near-death experience. This newfound power leads her to a group of young women played by Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor who are being hunted by an evil explorer.
Set in Sony’s Spider-Verse the film is one of the biggest flops in comic book movie history. Three weeks after its release it has only grossed $40 million domestically and is under the $100 million mark worldwide. On top of disappointing box office returns, “Madame Web,” has been panned by critics. Something that didn’t come as a shock for Johnson, who also starred in 2015’s critical dumpster fire “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
“Unfortunately, I’m not surprised that this has gone down the way it has,” Johnson told Bustle about “Madame Web”’s reception.
“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,” Johnson explained. “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 bullshit. Even if films start to be made with AI, humans aren’t going to fucking want to see those.”
Well, “A camel is a horse designed by a committee” is a saying for a good reason.
“But it was definitely an experience for me to make that movie,” Johnson added. “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.”
Johnson hasn’t kept her feelings about the state of the entertainment industry quiet either. During a press tour for “Madame Web” told L’Officiel something similar.
“The people who run streaming platforms don’t trust creative people or artists to know what’s going to work, and that is just going to make us implode,” said Johnson. “It’s really heartbreaking.It’s just fucking so hard. It’s so hard to get anything made. All of the stuff I’m interested in making is really different, and it’s unique and it’s very forward in whatever it is.” Say what you want about her, at least she is consistant.
“Madame Web” is currently in theaters nationwide, you can check out the trailer below:
