Emma Roberts Blames The Internet For ‘Madame Web’ Failure

Emma Roberts has recently pointed out that the internet played a significant role in the lackluster reception of Sony’s superhero film, ‘Madame Web.’ According to Roberts, the movie could have been received differently if not for the prevailing internet culture that turns almost everything into a joke. This perspective comes amidst various critiques of the film, which only garnered $100 million at the box office, marking it as one of the less successful superhero movies.

Roberts expressed her disappointment about the general trend where movies and other projects are often not taken seriously and become the subject of memes and jokes online. She was discussing her latest project, ‘Space Cadet,’ which is streaming on Prime Video, when she touched on the topic of ‘Madame Web.’ Despite the poor reception, Roberts remains positive about the movie and her experience working with director S.J. Clarkson, whom she credits as a major reason she joined the project.

Here’s the full quote:

Things work; things don’t work. 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?” 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. I’m not intimidated by failure, and I’m not intimidated by people having negative thoughts about something. 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. 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.

Interestingly, while Roberts is ready to overlook the criticism and stands by the film, other stars associated with the project have a different take. Dakota Johnson has been quoted in Variety as saying she wouldn’t opt for such roles in the future. Similarly, Sydney Sweeney shared a comedic take on the film during an SNL sketch, highlighting the diverse reactions from the cast.

Roberts believes that sometimes projects don’t immediately succeed but may gain popularity later, as seen with some films blowing up on platforms like TikTok. She emphasizes that success in the film industry is unpredictable and doesn’t necessarily correlate with immediate box office hits. She remarked, ‘Things work; things don’t work. You can’t really predict it. Something might fail now but get popular later. There’s no secret formula, just a wish and a prayer.’

In her view, making a movie that people enjoy and releasing it at the right moment is all filmmakers can hope for. Despite the negative feedback, Roberts isn’t deterred by failure or negative opinions and continues to support the artistic endeavors she believes in. She hopes for a shift in how we, the audience, engage with and appreciate movies beyond the internet’s scope.

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