Dakota Johnson is said to be in hot water with Sony and the team behind Madame Web after angering bosses by making multiple public comments about the Marvel film amid its poor box office performance.
The Fifty Shades of Gray star, 34, plays the titular superhero in the $80 million production that was trashed by critics and moviegoers alike after its Valentine’s Day release.
The film has grossed a meager $40 million so far at the domestic box office, after scoring one of the lowest superhero debuts in recent memory, grossing a measly $15.1 million in its opening weekend.
Now Dakota is reportedly being accused of “dragging” the film and failing to “take any responsibility” after admitting she hadn’t seen the film herself, before making several damning statements about the production.
“A lot of people at Sony are questioning her star power, and the way she reacted to this failure will probably come back to haunt her,” an exclusive source told DailyMail.com.
Dakota Johnson is in trouble with Madame Webb’s bosses, sources claim, after the actress made multiple public inquiries about the Marvel movie.
They claimed that bosses had been fine with Dakota’s co-star Sydney Sweeney making a playful joke on Saturday Night Live, but they put limits on Dakota’s constant criticism.
‘YOIt’s okay to joke about how your movie didn’t do well and even lean on bad reviews like Sydney Sweeney did on SNL with her monologue, but the producers and Sony aren’t laughing at Dakota’s continued harping on how she sees the consequences of Madame Web and “How do not take any responsibility for their mediocre results,” they said.
“Not every movie is going to work, but a lot of hard work goes into even bad movies and having your star shit on them is a bad look.”
They continued: ‘Dakota is being belittled for her talk about the movie because everyone in the production is thinking, what if the movie was still the same but also a box office gem?
“She’d be talking about sequels and probably praising herself for her good luck.”
During a recent interview with BustleDakota, who is reportedly engaged to her boyfriend Chris Martin, hinted that she predicted the public’s reaction.
“Unfortunately, I’m not surprised this happened the way it did,” he said.
“But it was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like this before. I’ll probably never do something like that again, because I have no point in that world. And I know that now.
She continued, “Sometimes in this industry, you sign up for something, and it’s one thing, and then while you’re doing it, it becomes something completely different, and you’re like, ‘Wait, what?'”
During a recent interview with Bustle, Dakota, who is reportedly engaged to her boyfriend Chris Martin, hinted that she predicted the public’s reaction to the box office failure.
Disgruntled moviegoers expressed their displeasure online, with one person calling the film “a series of mistakes and wasted opportunities” on X.
“But it was a real learning experience and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s in tatters, but I can’t say I don’t understand it.”
Dakota plays the main character, Cassandra Webb, a paramedic in New York City.
He then appeared to attack film bosses as he explained: “It’s very difficult to make movies, and in these big movies that’s done, and it’s even starting to happen with the smaller ones, which is what’s really scaring me.” -Decisions are made by committees, and art does not do well when it is made by committee.
‘Films are made by a filmmaker and a team of artists around him. You can’t make art based on numbers and algorithms. I have long had the feeling that the public is extremely intelligent and executives have begun to believe that they are not.
‘The public will always be able to detect nonsense. Even if they start making movies with AI, humans are not going to want to see them.”
The source warned that Dakota’s comments could come back to haunt her, but admitted she was just one more movie hit away from winning back favor with executives.
“In typical Hollywood fashion, if Dakota’s next movie is a big hit, then everyone will kiss her ass again,” they said. “Right now, not so much.”
Dakota, the daughter of Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson, plays Cassandra Webb, a New York City paramedic gifted with psychic abilities due to a mutant gene, similar to the X-Men concept.
A source told DailyMail.com: “Many people at Sony are questioning her star power, and the way she reacted to this failure will probably come back to haunt her.”
The Sony Pictures production had one of the lowest superhero debuts at the box office in recent memory, essentially scuttling a potential franchise at the studio.
Her character is faced with the task of safeguarding three women from an enigmatic adversary.
The film belongs to Sony’s Spider-Man universe, clearly separate from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, owned by Disney.
This film could now be one of the last collaborations between Sony and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, following Disney’s acquisition of Marvel.
In fact, critics called the film ‘As silly and silly as the worst of the genre.‘ and a ridiculous matter‘ – and the film debuted with a 12 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Disgruntled moviegoers also expressed their displeasure online, with one person calling the film “a series of mistakes and wasted opportunities” on X.
Another described it as “a clunky, poorly written, messy and sloppy film, replete with editing and mediocre acting.”
With a budget of $80 million for the film, it was almost certain that it would have a very difficult time turning a profit.
The film was being considered to kick off a new franchise, with Madame Web using her clairvoyant abilities to help three new Spider-Women: Sydney Sweeney’s Julia Cornwall, Isabela Merced’s Anya Corazon, and Celeste O’Connor’s Mattie Franklin.
The Rotten Tomatoes audience score currently sits at 57 percent, a definite improvement but not too notable either.
The film also has average fan ratings on CinemaScore (C+) and just 1.5 stars on PostTrak, via Deadline.
Speaking on February 17 after the film’s premiere, Dakota confirmed Magic FM that he had not seen the film and stated, “I don’t know when I’ll see it.” Some day.’
After humorously recalling that she skipped the Madame Web premiere to “go to dinner,” Dakota insisted that her decision had nothing to do with the film itself.
“For me, it’s a way to not have an existential crisis,” he admitted. “Not watching my movies is like taking care of myself.”