Dakota Johnson Blames Studio Meddling for Madame Web Disaster

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Dakota Johnson is speaking openly about the difficulties with the movie “Madame Web” released in 2024 by Marvel Studios. In a recent interview, she discusses the film’s underperformance at the box office and her receipt of a Razzie Award for Worst Actress.

Johnson Blames Studio Meddling for Madame Web Collapse

When the topic turns to Madame Web, the LA Times interview reveals that Johnson’s mannerism changes subtly. “Continue,” she responds, adopting a somewhat sarcastic inflection.

Johnson explains, chuckling a bit, ‘I’m not to blame here. It seems that decisions regarding creativity are often being made by committees these days, or individuals lacking any creative instinct.’

Johnson explains that the project initially took a different direction than expected, and she found herself merely tagging along. She admits, “Creating art under such circumstances is quite challenging.

She commented, “Unfortunately, Madame Web initially had one concept but transformed into something different. At that stage, I was just going along with it. Changes like this occur often in bigger-budget productions. They can fail sometimes, and that’s okay. I don’t worry about it too much.” She further added, “I won’t swear off doing similar projects again due to past experiences. Even small movies that didn’t succeed are behind me. So what?

Despite receiving harsh criticism from both critics and viewers, Madame Web enjoyed a short resurgence as the top-rated title on Netflix at one point. However, this didn’t prevent it from earning three Razzie Awards, including for Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Johnson), and Worst Screenplay.

As a movie enthusiast, let me tell you that my take on this flick isn’t exactly stellar. It ranks among the underperformers in the comic book movie genre, having grossed approximately $100 million globally. However, it outshone Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter,” which reportedly only raked in $62 million. So, it seems we can’t lay all the blame on the devoted fans.

“You Cannot Make Art Based on Numbers and Algorithms”

Previously, in an interview, Johnson shared that she was unwell when the movie premiered, preventing her from effectively promoting it. Later on, she confessed, “I felt like, ‘Oh no.’ I couldn’t take any of it seriously at all.

Furthermore, it’s been hinted that Sony may have altered the initial vision for the movie. Originally, there were plans to incorporate Spider-Man and multiverse aspects, but these seemed to be removed due to studio intervention.

In an interview with Bustle in March 2021, she stated that movies are created by a director and a group of creative individuals. She emphasized that art often suffers when it’s produced by a committee. Furthermore, she suggested that audiences are very intelligent, and unfortunately, some executives have come to underestimate this fact.

Johnson criticized the excessive use of data in decision-making within the industry and cautioned about the increasing influence of artificial intelligence in movie production.

She stated, “People can always detect insincerity. If movies are produced by AI, it’s unlikely that people will find pleasure in watching them.

Done With Superhero Films?

Don’t expect to see her in spandex again anytime soon.

Johnson mentioned, ‘I doubt I’ll ever repeat such an action as it doesn’t align with my reality. Occasionally, in this field, you commit to a project, but as you’re working on it, it transforms into something entirely different.’

She described it as a “genuine educational moment,” acknowledged that it wasn’t enjoyable to be “criticized harshly,” yet understood the reasoning behind it.

Madame Web also starred Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor.

What’s next for Dakota Johnson?

Moving forward, Johnson is focusing on smaller productions via her company TeaTime Pictures, including “Materialists” starring Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal (releasing June 13), “Daddio”, and “Splitsville”, which recently debuted at Cannes Film Festival.

As a dedicated cinema enthusiast, I’m thrilled to share that according to IMDb, Johnson will be featured in “Verity,” a movie that has just wrapped up production. In this captivating tale, she portrays Lowen Ashleigh, who lands a unique job as a ghostwriter for the illustrious author wife of Jeremy Crawford (Josh Hartnett), Verity (Anne Hathaway). After an unfortunate accident leaves her unable to complete her work, I’ll be delving into the mysterious world of the Crawfords while residing at their home to help. Little do I know, uncovering Verity’s dark secrets will become a chilling part of my experience!

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2025-06-05 05:01