Madame Web Box Office Collection Day 8, Worldwide Collection: A Disappointing Debut for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe
Madame Web: Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) has been expanding its roster of characters with films like Venom, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter. However, the latest addition to the franchise, Madame Web, has failed to impress both critics and audiences alike. The film, which stars Dakota Johnson as the titular psychic, has received mostly negative reviews and has performed poorly at the box office. Here is everything you need to know about Madame Web, its plot, its cast, its reception, and its prospects.
Madame Web Box Office Collection Day 8, Worldwide Collection
| Region | Day 8 Gross | Total Gross |
|---|---|---|
| North America | $2.1 million | $28.3 million |
| International | $3.4 million | $26.9 million |
| Worldwide | $5.5 million | $55.2 million |
Some real talk with the cast of #MadameWeb.
— Madame Web (@MadameWeb) January 23, 2024
Exclusively in movie theaters February 14. pic.twitter.com/yGHABtwlgX
What is Madame Web about?
Madame Web is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, who is a powerful clairvoyant and an ally of Spider-Man. The film serves as an origin story for Cassie Webb (Johnson), who discovers her abilities after being bitten by a mysterious spider in Peru. She grows up to become a paramedic in New York, where she meets three young women who share a connection to the spider: Julia Carpenter (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), and Mattie Franklin (Celeste O’Connor). They are also pursued by Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim), a ruthless businessman who wants to harness the spider’s power for himself.
The film is directed by S. J. Clarkson, who made her feature debut after working on several TV shows, such as Jessica Jones, The Defenders, and Succession. The screenplay is co-written by Clarkson, Claire Parker, and the duo of Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, who have previously worked on films like Dracula Untold, The Last Witch Hunter, and Power Rangers. The film also features Mike Epps as Ben Parker, Emma Roberts as O’Neil, and Adam Scott as J. Jonah Jameson.
How did Madame Web perform at the box office?
Madame Web was released on February 14, 2024, coinciding with Valentine’s Day weekend. However, the film failed to attract much love from the moviegoers, as it opened to a dismal $17.6 million in its first three days, and $26.2 million in its first six days.
This makes it the lowest-grossing opening for any SSU film, as well as one of the worst openings for a superhero film in general. The film faced stiff competition from the musical biopic Bob Marley: One Love, which topped the charts with $42.7 million in its debut weekend. The film also received mixed to negative word-of-mouth, as it scored a low 3.8/10 on IMDb, 28% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a C+ on CinemaScore.
The film’s performance was even worse in the international markets, where it only grossed $28.9 million in its first week, bringing its worldwide total to $55.2 million. The film’s budget was reported to be around $80 million, which means that it is unlikely to break even, let alone make a profit. The film’s poor performance has been attributed to several factors, such as the lack of familiarity with the character, the weak marketing campaign, the negative reviews, the pandemic-related restrictions, and the audience fatigue with superhero films.
What did the critics and the fans say about Madame Web?
Madame Web received mostly negative reviews from critics, who criticized the film’s plot, script, direction, tone, and pacing. Many reviewers felt that the film was a wasted opportunity to explore a unique and interesting character, and instead delivered a generic and boring superhero origin story.
Some of the common complaints were that the film lacked humor, excitement, emotion, and coherence and that it failed to establish a clear connection to the SSU or the Spider-Man mythology. Some critics also noted that the film suffered from poor editing, inconsistent visual effects, and underdeveloped characters.
The fans were also largely disappointed with Madame Web, as they expressed their dissatisfaction on social media platforms, such as Twitter, Reddit, and YouTube. Many fans felt that the film did not do justice to the character of Madame Web, who is a fan-favorite in the comics and the animated series.
Some fans also felt that the film was too dark, dull, and depressing and that it lacked the charm, fun, and action that they expect from a Spider-Man-related film. Some fans also pointed out the plot holes, the logical inconsistencies, and the factual errors in the film, such as the incorrect depiction of Peru, the inaccurate portrayal of paramedics, and the unrealistic behavior of spiders.
Cast
| Actor | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Dakota Johnson | Cassandra Webb / Madame Web | A New York paramedic who develops clairvoyance after being bitten by a spider in Peru |
| Sydney Sweeney | Julia Carpenter / Spider-Woman | An awkward teenage girl who lives with her father and stepfamily following her mother’s departure |
| Isabela Merced | Anya Corazon / Spider-Girl | A homeless teenager forced to live alone after her father’s deportation |
| Celeste O’Connor | Mattie Franklin / Spider-Woman | A teenage girl from a wealthy family, but with absent parents |
| Tahar Rahim | Ezekiel Sims | A ruthless explorer who wants to harness the spider’s power for himself |
| Mike Epps | O’Neil | A friend and colleague of Cassandra at the hospital |
| Emma Roberts | Mary Parker | Cassandra’s estranged sister and Ben’s wife |
| Adam Scott | Ben Parker | Cassandra’s brother-in-law and a firefighter |
What does Madame Web mean for the future of the SSU?
Madame Web’s failure at the box office and the critical reception has raised questions about the future of the SSU, which is Sony’s attempt to create a shared universe of films based on Spider-Man’s supporting characters and villains. The SSU was launched in 2018 with Venom, which was a surprise hit, grossing over $856 million worldwide and receiving positive feedback from fans.
The SSU continued with Morbius in 2020, which was a moderate success, grossing over $400 million worldwide and receiving mixed reviews from critics and fans. The SSU also benefited from the collaboration with Marvel Studios, which allowed Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, such as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was a massive blockbuster, grossing over $2 billion worldwide and received universal acclaim from the critics and the fans.
However, Madame Web’s flop has cast a shadow over the SSU’s prospects, as it has shown that not every character can carry a solo film and that the SSU needs to improve its quality, consistency, and connectivity. The SSU has several upcoming projects in the pipeline, such as Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Silver Sable, Silk, Jackpot, and Nightwatch.
However, it is unclear how these films will perform, and whether they will be able to attract and retain the audience’s interest. The SSU also faces the challenge of maintaining its relationship with Marvel Studios, which is crucial for the popularity and credibility of the Spider-Man franchise. The SSU also needs to find a balance between its own identity and its ties to the MCU, as it risks confusing or alienating the fans who are used to seeing Spider-Man in the MCU context.
Related: Madame Web Box Office Collection Day 5
Trailer
Conclusion
Madame Web is a disappointing debut for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, as it fails to deliver a compelling and entertaining superhero film. The film suffers from a weak plot, a poor script, a bland direction, a dull tone, and a slow pace. The film also fails to connect with the audience, the critics, and the fans, as it receives negative reviews and performs poorly at the box office.
The film’s failure raises doubts about the future of the SSU, which needs to improve its quality, consistency, and connectivity, and to find its place in the crowded and competitive superhero genre. Madame Web is a film that is best avoided unless you are a die-hard fan of the character or the SSU.
