“Madame Web” was, undeniably, a failure.
While the Marvel-verse became a common enemy for critics, who dismissed the action-packed films as big-budget junk for the masses, the Spiderman spin-off starring Dakota Johnson was singular in his public disdain.
Brian Truitt, USA TODAY critic described the film as “burdened by bad dialogue, negligible character development, a lackluster villain, and an assortment of B-movie nonsense.”
Beyond the criticisms, the film bombed at the box officeraking a measly $15.3 million during its opening weekend. On the other hand, the film’s budget was $80 million.
Tony Vinciquerra, chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment (which backed the film), sees the story differently.
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In an interview with the Los Angeles Times published Thursday, Vinciquerra — which resign in January – criticized the media for allegedly peddling a false narrative around the film’s release.
“‘Madame Web’ underperformed in theaters because the press simply crucified her,” he told the outlet. “For some reason the press decided they didn’t want us to make these movies from “Kraven (the Hunter)” and ‘Madame Web,’ and the critics just destroyed them.”
“Kraven the Hunter”, another spider-verse project released earlier this month also suffered at the box office.
However, criticism of “Madame Web” was not limited to the critics’ corner. Even Johnson seemed lukewarm on the project. During the film’s press tour, the actress said to Bustle“Unfortunately, I’m not surprised that things turned out this way.”
Lamenting the “committees” set up by movie studios, Johnson told the outlet: “My feeling has long been that the public is extremely intelligent, and the executives have begun to believe that they are not.”
Asked about a change in strategy for future films, Vinciquerra placed more blame on critics.
“I think we need to rethink it, just because he was bitten by a snake,” he told the LA Times. “If we publish another one, it will be destroyed, no matter how good or bad it is.”
Vinciquerra’s comments come as major studios continue to struggle to attract audiences to the theater. Blockbusters such as “Wicked” And “Barbie” are the exception and not the rule. North American cinema box office revenues between January and October down 11.5% compared to the same period in 2023according to a November report by film scholar Laura Carollo.
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Vinciquerra, for his part, appears to be leaving his leadership position without much concern for the changing tides. “The only thing we know for sure is that the demand for entertainment is not decreasing,” he told the outlet. “She’s becoming slightly different.”