Superhero movies are a fickle thing. When they hit,they hit, but when they miss they’remaybe evenmoretalked about– but not in a good way. Last year, Sony tapped filmmakerS.J. Clarksonto dip into the studio’s rights over the sprawling world of Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, with the movieMadame Web. On paper, it seemed like a great idea, one that would allow fresh characters to join the universe in what would be a largely female-driven storyline. At the top of the pyramid wasDakota Johnson, who starred as the titular hero, with supporting performances fromSydney Sweeney,Celeste O’Connor, andIsabela Merced. Unfortunately, the movie was a box office bomb, and suffered terrible reviews from audiences and critics alike – except for those of us who canunderstand thepure geniusbehind such apiece of art.
Followinga flop likeMadame Web, the actors involved could go one of two ways. Either they bury their heads in shame, or they shrug it off and choose to roll with the punches. In the case of Johnson, it’s the latter. During a conversation with the Los Angeles Times in support of her new movie,Materialists, the actress was more than willing to open up about the film and even cracked a few jokes along the way.“It wasn’t my fault,”she said, taking the question about the doomed superhero movie on the chin. Explaining where she thought things went off the rails, she said:
“There’s this thing that happens now where a lot ofcreative decisions are made by committee.Or made bypeople who don’t have a creative bone in their body. And it’s really hard to make art that way. Or to make something entertaining that way. And I think unfortunately withMadame Webit started out as something and turned into something else. And I was just sort of along for the ride at that point. But that happens.Bigger-budget movies fail all the time.”
Dakota Johnson’s Perspective on ‘Madame Web’ Isn’t What You’d Expect
But did her experience sour the potential of futuremovies in the same veinor even – say – a reprisal ofherMadame Webrole? In Johnson’s mind, the past is the past, and she’s looking towards the future, adding:
“I don’t have a Band-Aid over it. There’s no part of me that’s like, ‘Oh, I’ll never do that again’ to anything. I’ve done even tiny movies that didn’t do well.Who cares?”
Madame Webis now streaming on Netflix.Materialistsarrives in cinemas on June 13.
Madame Web
Source:Los Angeles Times
