Sydney Sweeney on ‘Madame Web’ flop: “I was just hired as an actress in it”

Sydney Sweeney has addressed the box office flop of her latest film, Sony‘s superhero flick Madame Web.

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Last month, Madame Web premiered in cinemas around the world on February 14, and in its first six days, it took just $26.2 million (£20.8 million) in the US, and a further $25.7 million (£20.4 million) internationally. This represents an underperformance, even compared to Sony’s recent Morbius, which itself was seen as a commercial disappointment.

The film has so far failed to garner any commercial success, rending it a “flop” at the box office. Now, one of its stars, Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria, Anyone But You, The White Lotus) has spoken about the film’s failures and how it’s affecting her.

Speaking to The Los Angeles Times recently, Sweeney revealed that the film’s bust hasn’t really affected her as others might expect. While this is the first box office flop of Sweeney’s career, she told the publication that she was “just along for the ride”.

“I was just hired as an actress in it, so I was just along for the ride for whatever was going to happen, she told The Los Angeles Times.

Sweeney is now the latest actor from Madame Web to pan the film. Earlier this month, the film’s lead star Dakota Johnson said that she was “not surprised” at the film’s negative reception. She went on to explain: “It’s so hard to get movies made, and in these big movies that get made — and it’s even starting to happen with the little ones, which is what’s really freaking me out — decisions are being made by committees, and art does not do well when it’s made by committee.”

Johnson added: “But it was definitely an experience for me to make that movie. I had never done anything like it before. I probably will never do anything like it again because I don’t make sense in that world. And I know that now.”

“But sometimes in this industry, you sign on to something, and it’s one thing and then as you’re making it, it becomes a completely different thing, and you’re like, Wait, what? But it was a real learning experience, and of course it’s not nice to be a part of something that’s ripped to shreds, but I can’t say that I don’t understand.”

Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, Madame Web stars Dakota Johnson in the lead role as a woman who develops psychic abilities. The White Lotus’ Sydney Sweeney co-stars, as do Emma Roberts and Adam Scott.

The film was met with an initial wave of negative reviews after its Los Angeles premiere, with some labelling it “an embarrassing mess”.

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