Emma Roberts defends Madame Web.
It is no secret that Sony's Madame Web, starring Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and Emma Roberts, flopped with negative reviews. The latest Spider-Man spin-off was poorly received, but Roberts has an explanation for it.
Speaking on the Just for Variety podcast, Roberts acknowledged that some movies work better than others. Some movies do not gain a following until they get buzz on social media platforms like TikTok.
She did seem aware of the negative Madame Web reviews. During its box office run, the movie barely made $100 million despite being tied to an IP like Spider-Man. But that does not deter her, as Roberts said she is “not intimidated by failure.”
The project was one that Roberts was passionate about. She wanted to take on the movie and endorsed director S.J. Clarkson in the interview. She also claims to have enjoyed the movie.
“I personally really loved Madame Web,” she said. “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.”
“Internet culture” ruined Madame Web
She then blamed “internet culture” for changing the fate of Madame Web. The movie was made into a joke, which hurt its perception, per Roberts.
“If it wasn't for internet culture and everything being made into a joke, I think that the reception would've been different,” Roberts claimed. “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.”
The Sony Spider-Man Universe is no stranger to becoming a meme. Morbius, another recent flop from the franchise, went viral for the “Morbin' time” memes. The line was not even in the movie, yet this caught fire.
The online movement caused Sony to believe in the movie after a rocky box office start. They re-released it in theaters in June 2022 which barely helped the cause. During its entire run, Morbius made just $167 million worldwide.
Madame Web follows Cassandra Webb (Johnson), a woman with psychic powers. She discovers a trio of teenage girls — played by Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O'Connor — who she has to protect from Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim).
Dakota Johnson headlines the cast along with Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O'Connor. In Madame Web, Emma Roberts plays Mary Parker, the sister-in-law of Ben Parker (Adam Scott).
Sony released Madame Web on February 14, 2024. It opened to just $15.3 million domestically and made a total of $100 million worldwide. The Sony Spider-Man Universe has two more movies coming — Venom: The Last Dance (October 25, 2024) and Kraven the Hunter (December 13, 2024).
Who is Emma Roberts?
Emma Roberts is best known for her horror work. After making her acting debut in Blow, Roberts led the Nickelodeon series Unfabulous.
Her biggest role is in FX's anthology series, American Horror Story. She has starred in six different seasons of the hit show. Additionally, she starred in Scream Queens from 2015-16.
Space Cadet is the latest movie starring Roberts. The Prime Video movie follows a party girl who becomes an astronaut. Tom Hopper, Poppy Liu, and Gabrielle Union also star in it.