Inside Sony’s ‘Madame Web’ Collapse: Forget About a New Franchise

Then last week, the critic reviews for Madame Web were posted, and they stung deepest of all Sonys SpiderMan spinoff received the lowest average Rotten Tomatoes score (13 percent) of any major superhero film in nearly a decade. On Wednesday night, you could actually watch advance purchase sales declining in real time as buyers were refunding their tickets, marvels a major theatrical chain insider. It really says something when youd rather have Shazam! 2 numbers. It marked one of the lowest starts in Hollywood history for a film based on a Marvel character. Domestic box office for the first six days in North America was just $26.2 million after opening midweek on Valentines Day. International tallied $25.7 million from 61 markets. Even the fanfriendly CinemaScore grade was poor (C+ extremely low for a superhero title). Like DC and the onceunstoppable Marvel, Sony is now finding itself in under the gun to reevaluate how it makes comic book movies. Sonys previous SpiderMan universe movie 2022s Morbius was a critical bust and muchmaligned by fanboys online, but at least it managed to earn $170 million worldwide. Theres no such hope for Madame Web. Plus, the features collapse doesnt just impact this film, but a new potential franchise led by star Dakota Johnson that Sony had hoped to spin out (spoiler alert her character is connected to Peter Parker, whose birth is documented in the movie). The film introduced a trio of supporting characters (played by Isabela Merced, Celeste OConnor and Sydney Sweeney now one of the top stars her age). It set up a future in which the three could have become a team of SpiderWomen under the guiding eye of Johnsons Cassie Webb. Now thats not going to happen. Were not going to see another Madame Web movie for another decadeplus, quipped one industry veteran. It failed. Sony tried to make a movie that was a different type of superhero movie. Madame Web joins a troubling trend for the superhero genre. Every liveaction comic book movie last year underperformed (aside from Marvel Studios s of the Galaxy Vol. 3), regardless of studio. Superhero fatigue has evolved from a term used by some corners of the fandom to something reluctantly accepted as industry fact. And its coming at a time when Marvel, DC and Sony are all attempting the difficult work of birthing new franchises. So Madame Web directed and cowritten by S.J. Clarkson and starring Johnson as a New York paramedic who develops psychic powers seemingly took a wise approach When there are capes and cowls on every metropolis corner, doesnt it make sense to avoid the usual tropes and try for a more groundedfeeling suspense thriller with lowkey charm? And moreover, make a superhero movie for women and young girls? Except it didnt work. I dont know if women are enough to carry the box office here, one veteran studio source outside of Sony says. Indeed, males make up 65 percent to 70 percent of the superhero audience in North America. In the case of Madame Web, the percentage of female viewers was still only 46 percent. We are in transition when it comes to superhero movies, notes the insider. I dont know how big that transition is or what the other side looks like. It may be fewer movies, but bigger brands. Sony is willing to take some risk but also wants home runs thats good. And if [Sonys upcoming SpiderMan Universe title] Kraven is a gigantic hit, the narrative could be completely different. So its too early to know the outcome. The current mood on the Sony lot is gloomy, an insider says. The studio has certainly had notable wins under movie chief Tom Rothmans tenure, including the Oscarnominated SpiderVerse series and the liveaction Venom (a third Venom, starring Tom Hardy, is due out Nov. 8). Rothman is known for keeping a close watch over budgets and it has been widely reported that Madame Web cost $80 million, but the actual number is in the low $100 million range, according to several sources. Still, thats far less than the $200 to $300 million routinely spent by Marvel or DC. Interestingly, some Madame Web reviewers are earnestly making the case that the film could eventually find a secondlife as a camp classic (the Los Angeles praised it as the purest form of camp and Slate raved, Its a travesty, a disaster and I enjoyed the hell out of it).