There’s no denying that superhero fatigue exists. If a studio’s superhero movie isn’t quite up to snuff, then people aren’t going to bother checking it out in theaters. Marvel Studios is even feeling that pain right now. But superhero fatigue can’t explain why “Madame Web” was such a huge bomb for Sony. There’s a laundry list of reasons why that film didn’t work. And according to one of the actors involved, fans have to look in the mirror to see why the film bombed.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Emma Roberts Blames “Internet Culture” As The Reason The Superhero Film Bombed at The Playlist.

To the surprise of no one (at least no one familiar with “Morbius“), “Madame Web” was a box office bomb and the first cinematic laughingstock of 2024. Not a great start of the year for Sony, who has two other spinoffs in its “Spider-verse” hitting theaters this year: “Kraven The Hunter” on August 30 and the newly titled “Venom: The Last Dance” on October 25.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Sydney Sweeney Remains Unphased; “I Was Just Hired As An Actress” at The Playlist.

Following the disastrous showing of Sony‘s “Spider-Man” spin-off “Madame Web” and the huge blowback from both audiences and critics who all seemingly despised the film, Dakota Johnson says she’ll “probably will never do anything like it again.” Meaning: appear or star in a superhero film. In a new interview with Bustle, Johnson expressed her overall disappointment with the film but admitted she wasn’t surprised with the outcome.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Talks Brutal Backlash & Is “Heartbroken” How Streamers Don’t Support Creatives at The Playlist.

In the wake of the dreadful “Madame Web” flop, the central question everyone seems to be asking themselves when it comes to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSMU) is, what the hell is going on over there at that studio? (several post-mortems from Puck and THR are withering in their assessment of the SSMU, and Sony is definitely taking it in the teeth today) While Sony’s superhero movies have flourished when they are Marvel co-productions, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” grossing almost $2 billion during the 2021 pandemic, and the “Spider-Verse” are big critical and commercial hits under Christopher Lord and Phil Miller, everything else appears to be a wash of late.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Flops, Franchise Plans Scrapped & How It Damages The Ailing Superhero Genre at The Playlist.

As many predicted, “Madame Web” is a terrible movie, but let’s not say the same for Dakota Johnson‘s recent press tour for Sony‘s “Spider-Verse” spinoff. The actress has been publicity gold the past few weeks discussing the film. She’s been candid about the movie script’s “drastic changes” before production started, the “absolutely psychotic” experience of shooting scenes in front of so much blue screen, and the generally dismal outlook she has about creativity in Hollywood thanks to the rise of streamers.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Says She’s Up For Sequels But Still Hasn’t Seen The Film at The Playlist.

Today is Valentine’s Day, and that means only one thing— “Madame Web” is in theaters. And as the next several days play out, Sony is going to look at a couple of things. First, the box office, obviously. The forecast isn’t great on that one. But secondly, you have to imagine the people at Sony will be thinking about 15%. That’s the number “Morbius” reached on Rotten Tomatoes, turning the film into the laughing stock of the superhero film world for a full year.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson Says The Script Had “Drastic Changes” Before Production Began at The Playlist.

Here’s the thing. No one wants “Madame Web” to be bad. This critic is certainly not rooting for it to fail. I would love to write a surprisingly glowing review on a movie centered on a pretty obscure character not only in the Marvel comic book universe but in the slightly smaller ‘Spider-Man‘ comic book universe. That director S.J. Clarkson and the other four writers with a story or screenwriting credit found a way to make the origin story of Cassandra “Cassie” Web a thrilling and maybe even funny 116 minutes at your local movie theater.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Review: Dakota Johnson Can’t Save This Forgettable ‘Spider’ Money Grab at The Playlist.

Well, Dakota Johnson is certainly making her voice heard on her “Madame Web” press tour. The latest from the actress? Variety reports that Johnson sounded off about the current Hollywood climate in a new interview with L’Officiel, diagnosing the industry as “really f*cking bleak” and rife with streaming platforms run by people “afraid” to take creative risks. I mean, she’s not wrong, but let’s hear her comments in entirety first.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Talks How “F*cking Bleak” & ” Disheartening” It Is That “Afraid” Streamers Continue To Make “Safe” & “Boring” Content at The Playlist.

This February film release slate is light on strict romances but flourishes with some festival favorites receiving their theatrical debut. For romance lovers, there are still several films available, from undead love stories to the latest original release from Netflix. Aside from the action-adventure films “Argylle” and “Madame Web,” it’s a relatively indie-based month, with a strong showing of international films, many of which were chosen as their country’s selection for the upcoming Oscars. 

READ MORE: 14 TV Shows To Watch In February: ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Airbender,’ ‘Mr.

Continue reading 10 Films To See In February: ‘Drive Away Dolls,’ ‘Promised Land,’ ‘Lisa Frankenstein’ & More at The Playlist.

OK, no one really knows what’s up with Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff movie, “Madame Web,” at least whether it’s good or not. Still, journalist Drew McWeeny’s tweet this weekend, “I have never seen a more defeated press tour than MADAME WEB. Everyone looks like they’re pre-emptively apologizing,” is at least super amusing and perhaps what many of us have been thinking.

It’s almost certainly a reference to this half-hearted quote; the movie’s start, Dakota Johnson, recently gave Entertainment Weekly about the film.

Continue reading Dakota Johnson Says All ‘Madame Web’ Blue Screen Was “Absolutely Psychotic” But Trusts Directors at The Playlist.

Ok, you’ve hopefully read our 100 Most Anticipated Films of 2024 list, and perhaps you may have been disappointed at the lack of potentially so many blockbusters, horrors, and mainstream spectacles. Don’t worry; we like some of that stuff, can enjoy it, and can be thrilled by it, too. Look, the two most mainstream movies of the year (and highest-grossing) are “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie,” and they rule.

Continue reading Most Anticipated 2024: 27 Blockbusters & Big Spectacle Movies To Watch at The Playlist.

While there seems to be a big debate raging this year about superhero fatigue and the decline of Marvel Studios, Sony has quite a few new superhero films ready to go over the next year or so. You have to imagine the studio is desperately hoping superhero fatigue will take a break in 2024. We’ve already seen the trailer for “Kraven the Hunter,” and now, we have yet another Sony superhero film, “Madame Web.”

READ MORE: ‘El Muerto’: Bad Bunny Is No Longer Attached To Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff Film

There’s been a lot of discussion about “Madame Web” during the film’s production.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’ Trailer: Dakota Johnson Leads Sony’s Latest Spidey Spinoff Coming Feb 2024 at The Playlist.

If memory serves correctly, Sony Pictures was one of the first studios to shift their release date calendar in the wake of the big 2019 COVID-19 pandemic, and now, with another calamity in front of the film industry—the dual WGA (writers) & SAG (actors) strikes—the company is again pretty much the first studio to respond and delay their release calendar in reply.

READ MORE: Sony Reserves 2024 & 2025 Release Dates For Upcoming Marvel Projects: Are They For ‘Venom3’ & Tom Holland’s Next ‘Spider-Man’ Pic?

Continue reading Sony Removes ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ Off Calendar, Delays ‘Kraven,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ Sequel at The Playlist.

What’s happening in the world of “Spider-Man” and the entire Spiderverse from Sony? Well, right now, a lot of delays. This weekend, Sony announced several changes in their upcoming Spiderverse schedule, which means all of their films are getting pushed back. The spin-off movie “Kraven the Hunter” film— starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as one of Spidey’s adversaries—has been delayed from January 13, 2023 release, to October 6, later that year.

Continue reading Sony Delays ‘Kraven The Hunter’ & Two More ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Movies at The Playlist.

Another week, another casting announcement for Sony‘s upcoming spin-off to “Spider-Man,” “Madame Web.” Does it feel like someone new gets added to the cast list of this film every week? For the last month or so, that’s actually been the case, with five names announced since late May. And now, Variety reports that another joins their ranks: “Severance” star Adam Scott.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Adam Scott The Latest To Join The Cast Of Sony’s Spider-Man Spinoff at The Playlist.

Sony and Marvel’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” was a runaway success for both studios on all fronts. It was 2021’s highest-grossing film and the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time, taking in $1.901 billion at the global box office. And critics loved it, too, praising its emotional stakes and how it handled all of its multiversal elements. So, of course, both studios want to capitalize on the film’s success, as studios do.

Continue reading Marvel’s Kevin Feige Reportedly Warned Sony About Their Spider-Man Universe at The Playlist.

Sony’s working hard to expand its ‘Spider-Man’ film franchise by focusing new features on various side characters in the lore. We’ve seen this already with “Venom” and its sequel, as well as “Morbius.” This is soon to be followed by “Kraven the Hunter” in 2023. However, those films are fairly straightforward compared to the other ‘Spider-Man’ spinoff that Sony is trying to get before cameras, “Madame Web.” And though the confusion about what the “Madame Web” film is going to look like seems to dominate the conversation, there’s no denying the studio is putting together one hell of a cast.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Emma Roberts Joins The Cast Of Sony’s ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff Film at The Playlist.

Two days after news broke that Isabela Merced joins the cast of Sony Pictures’ next ‘Spider-Man’ spin-off, “Madame Web,” the film adds another actor to its ranks. This time, it’s the first male actor in the female-heavy ensemble and quite the intriguing addition: French star and actor of Algerian descent, Tahar Rahim.

READ MORE: ‘Madame Web’: Isabela Merced Joins Dakota Johnson & Sydney Sweeney In Sony’s Spidey Spin-Off

Deadline reports that Rahim joins Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Merced in the upcoming film.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Tahir Rahim Joins Sony ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Starring Dakota Johnson at The Playlist.

Thanks to the box-office success of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which raked in over $500 million worldwide, Sony Pictures has high hopes for its future Spidey-verse movies. And while critics and audiences loathed “Morbius,” it did make a modest profit and finish first at the box office on its opening weekend. All the more reason for Sony to make its next Spidey-adjacent venture, “Madame Web,” that much more bankable as it approaches release next summer.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Isabela Merced Joins Dakota Johnson & Sydney Sweeney In Sony’s Spidey Spin-Off at The Playlist.

While it took Sony’s Spider-verse to get off the ground and the results were clunky—“Venom” seemingly being a love or hate proposition for some—the entity is up and running about to take off either way. Two “Venom” films are in the can, a crossover with “Spider-Man” has been teased, “Morbius” hits in April, and “Kraven The Hunter” is due in early 2023.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: ‘Euphoria’s Sydney Sweeney Joins Sony’s Spider-Man Spin-Off Starring Dakota Johnson at The Playlist.

Ever since she left behind the “50 Shades” franchise, Dakota Johnson has wowed audiences with her risky roles in some of the most interesting indie features over the past several years. But it appears the actress is ready to jump back into blockbuster filmmaking with her own ‘Spider-Man’ spinoff film, “Madame Web.”

READ MORE: Tom Holland Says Now Might Be The “Perfect Time” To Stop Playing Spider-Man After ‘No Way Home’ Success

According to THR, Dakota Johnson is set to star in the upcoming “Madame Web” film from director S.J.

Continue reading ‘Madame Web’: Dakota Johnson To Star In ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff Film For Sony at The Playlist.

Back in September 2019 (wow, that seems like a decade ago, doesn’t it?), Sony reportedly hired the writers of “Morbius” to begin developing a “Spider-Man” spin-off film based on the character of Madame Web. Well, according to a new report, it appears that we now know who might helm that feature—SJ Clarkson.

READ MORE: Sony Reportedly Hires ‘Morbius’ Writers For New ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Film Focused On Madame Web

Variety is reporting that Clarkson has signed on to develop a “female-centric” film set in the “Spider-Man” universe that Sony has been slowly cultivating over the last couple of years.

Continue reading SJ Clarkson To Direct Rumored ‘Madame Web’ Sony/Marvel Film; Charlize Theron & Others Eyed at The Playlist.

With Spider-Man firmly in the studio’s grasp, devoid of his ties to Marvel Studios, it appears that Sony is fully committed to fleshing out its ever-growing Spider-verse. This time, according to a new report, the studio is planning on a new film featuring the obscure Marvel character, Madame Web.

According to Collider, Sony has hired the two men behind the script for the upcoming “Spider-Man” spin-off film, “Morbius,” Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, to write a “Madame Web” film.

Continue reading Sony Reportedly Hires ‘Morbius’ Writers For New ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Film Focused On Madame Web at The Playlist.