SDCC 2024: Madame Web Producer Reflects on Box Office Flop, “Like an Ax in Your Head”

Marvel has one of its most anticipated films of the decade hitting theaters this week with Deadpool & Wolverine, signaling an up-swing for the MCU after a few disappointing entries. That goes for the Spider-Man side of the universe as well, as Sony’s most recent spinoff Madame Web didn’t receive much love at the box office or from critics. The film has taken over Netflix in its streaming debut, however, reigniting discussion about the film and what it was attempting to bring to the table. ComicBook’s Brandon Davis had the chance to catch up with Madame Web producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura to talk about Transformers One, but during their conversation Bonaventura shared a very honest reaction about what it feels like when a film isn’t well received by fans or by the box office, saying it feels like “an ax in the head.”

Not The Greatest Feeling

When the topic of Madame Web’s performance on streaming came up, Bonaventura was asked about the posilibty of seeing those characters again. “I don’t have any idea. I, I really don’t know,” Bonaventura said. “Yeah, that, that was uh, that was a heartbreaking experience in the theater. So I’ll tell you that.” When asked how it feels when a project doesn’t perform or connect with fans like you hoped, Bonaventura said, “Like an Axe in your head.”

“I think one of the things, and, and this is a longer conversation which I’d be happy to have. I think one of the problems with streaming is that we don’t know how to judge failure or success, right? Opening weekend when it doesn’t work, you just got slammed side of your head,” Bonaventura said. “And so the brutalness of failure really makes you concentrate on the next movie. And I don’t want that experience again. So there’s a, it’s a harsher experience. So I think that has a lot to do with what kind of movies now that I look at, like, all right, how am I gonna approach this?”

Internet Culture and Social Media Reception

There are a number of theories and viewpoints about why the film didn’t perform well, both among fans and the film’s cast. Madame Web star Emma Roberts had a lot of positive things to say about the project in an interview with Variety, where she shared her experience making the film and what she felt drove some of the poor performance of the film, citing Internet Culture and making things into a joke as one of those reasons.

“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,” Roberts said. “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,” Roberts said.

An Important Step

Another star who sees the positive of the project is Sydney Sweeney. Sweeney happened to be hosting SNL shortly after the film’s main press run and wasn’t afraid to poke fun at the rocky rollout. That said, Sweeney still looks at the project as a positive experience, as it allowed her to form a great relationship with Sony, and that relationship will continue in future projects.

“To me that film was a building block, it’s what allowed me to build a relationship with Sony. Without doing Madame Web I wouldn’t have a relationship with the decision-makers over there,” Sweeney told GQ. “Everything in my career I do not just for that story, but strategic business decisions. Because I did that, I was able to sell Anyone But You. I was able to get Barbarella.”

Madame Web is currently streaming on Netflix.