Despite being one of the most notorious box office failures of the year, Sydney Sweeney revealed in a recent interview with GQ UK that acting in Sony’s “Madame Web” was a “strategic business decision” that largely paid off. According to Sweeney, “Madame Web” helped her land a job at Sony Pictures, where she went on to become a huge box office hit with the romantic comedy “Anyone but You.”
According to Sweeney, “that movie was a foundational piece that helped me establish a rapport with Sony.” “I wouldn’t have a relationship with the decision-makers over there if I hadn’t completed “Madame Web.” Not only do I do everything in my profession for that narrative, but I also make calculated commercial judgments. That’s what allowed me to sell ‘Anyone but You.’ I succeeded in obtaining “Barbarella.”
“Madame Web” failed at the box office and hasn’t yet made over $100 million worldwide after receiving harsh criticism from critics earlier this year. That is a far cry from the hit Sweeney had with “Anyone but You,” a romantic comedy that debuted in December and brought in $214 million for Sony Pictures globally. Sweeney costarred with Glen Powell in that film. Sweeney claimed that the connections she developed with Sony through her participation in “Madame Web” allowed her to launch “Anyone but You.” She is now working on a remake of “Barbarella” at Sony, in which she is anticipated to feature.
Regarding the superhero failure, Sweeney continued, “‘Madame Web’ is such a large movie with so many people involved,” as she spoke to GQ UK. “I recently got a job as an actress, and I’m delighted to play a character that my younger relatives find fascinating. On a movie like that, I have little control over the result, particularly because I’m not the producer. You accept whatever is offered and go along with the ride.Making a movie like that clearly requires a different formula; it wasn’t like anything I’m used to.”
Sweeney played Julia Cornwall, a Spider-Woman incarnation, in the film “Madame Web”. When questioned about reprising the part, Sweeney said, “I think that if the story is right and you have the right team, I would love to.” The movie positions Julia for future movies in which she can play a superhero.
Sweeney emphasized in a recent interview with Variety that she wants to keep acting in movies that she also produces in order to gain some of the power that she was lacking on a production such as “Madame Web.”
“I want to be as involved in the process for any project moving forward that I possibly can,” she stated. “I enjoy being in the space where I can solve problems and generate ideas. Having several people at the table rather than just one is crucial; everyone should be able to work together and actually contribute to the project’s development. Everyone is involved. It was really difficult for me to be less immersed with “Madame Web” than I would have liked to be. And knowing that “Anyone except You” and “Immaculate” could have that gave me a great sense of freedom.”
Following its debut, “Madame Web” became such a social media punching bag that Sweeney herself made jokes about it on “Saturday Night Live” (“You definitely didn’t see me in ‘Madame Web,'” she quipped), and Jimmy Kimmel even made a reference to it in his Oscars monologue.
“The people in this room somehow managed to come up with so many excellent films and memorable performances,” Kimmel stated. “This night is full of enormous talent, and untold potential, but so was ‘Madame Web.'”
Dakota Johnson, Sweeney’s “Madame Web” co-star, stated to Bustle earlier this month that the positive reviews for the film were expected.
“It was definitely an experience for me to make that movie,” stated Johnson. “I had never engaged in anything such before. I don’t make sense in that world, so I probably won’t attempt something similar again. And now I am aware of that. However, in our business, things can change drastically while you work on them; at times, you sign on to something and it seems like one thing, so you’re left wondering, “What the heck?” However, it was a truly educational experience. I can’t claim that I don’t understand, even if it’s obviously unpleasant to be a part of something that has been destroyed.”
Sony’s “Madame Web” is still showing in cinemas across the country. “Immaculate,” Sweeney’s next picture, will be released by Neon in theaters on March 22.