It kind of feels like Madame Web came out years ago at this point, even though the movie only came out less than five months ago. Such was the nature of the film as Sony’s newest entry in its Spiderverse was yet another huge box office flop and was an utterly forgettable experience that has since then spawned countless memes.
For the first time since then, Emma Roberts has publicly been open to talking about the movie and the poor reception that it got. During an interview with Variety, the actress who played Mary Parker in the Sony spinoff cited that the reason for the movie bombing at the box office was “the unpredictability of Hollywood and the movie being heavily ridiculed online.”
“Things work; things don’t work,” Roberts said. “Everyone likes to act like they can predict if they’re going to work or they’re not. And the truth is, you can’t. Things do badly, and then they blow up later on TikTok. Things do well, but then you watch them, and you’re like, ‘This did well?’”
She added, “There is no secret. It’s about doing something goodish and it hitting at the right time. Everything else is like a wish and a prayer.”
Madame Web had an abysmal box office run and was only able to gross $100.3 million on a reported budget of $80 million. It currently holds an 11 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes with a 57 per cent audience approval score. Jared Leto’s Morbius, which was also a flop, grossed over $163 million on a budget that was nearly identical to Madame Web.
However, Roberts has emphasized that she’s “not intimidated by failure” or by “people having negative thoughts about something” she’s starred in over her career.
“I personally really loved Madame Web. I really enjoyed the movie. I thought everyone in it was great,” she said. “The director, S.J. Clarkson, I think did an amazing job. She’s the reason I wanted to do that movie. If it wasn’t for internet culture and everything being made into a joke, I think that the reception would’ve been different.” Roberts further added, “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.”
READ MORE: A Superhero Movie That Defied the Odds: Celebrating 35 Years of Tim Burton’s Batman
Despite the negative response the film has gotten, Emma Roberts has voiced her desire to be a part of more superhero projects in the future, expressing interest in a more action-packed role.
POLL: Best Episode of a Superhero TV Show: The Flash, Arrow, Daredevil and More
Madame Web follows a paramedic named Cassie (Dakota Johnson), who develops psychic abilities that she must use to protect three teenage girls from being murdered by Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). The film is currently streaming on Netflix.
READ MORE: Sandman Author Neil Gaiman Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Denies Allegations