CinemaCEO of Sony blames critics for box office failures of ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter’

The movies Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter faced a disastrous box office performance in 2024, and Sony Pictures CEO, Tony Vinciquerrapointed out critics as the main responsible for the failure. In an interview with Los Angeles TimesVinciquerra stated that negative reactions from the press harmed productions in the Spider-Man universe.

“Madame Web underperformed in theaters because the press simply crucified the film,” Vinciquerra said. “It wasn’t a bad movie, and it did well on Netflix. For some reason, the critics decided they didn’t want us to make these films, and they trashed them. They’re not terrible films, but they were demolished by critics, I don’t know why.”

Performance and repercussion

Madame Webstarring Dakota Johnsonraised just over US$100 million, an amount equivalent to its budget. The film received just 11% approval on the website Rotten Tomatoes. In turn, Kraven the Hunterstarring Aaron Taylor-Johnsonmade US$45 million against a budget almost three times larger. The production also suffered from negative reviews, recording a 17% approval rating on the same website.

Despite the problems, the franchise had a positive highlight in 2024: Venom: The Last Dancethe last film in the trilogy starring Tom Hardygrossed US$476 million worldwide, making it the 10th most profitable film of the year.

Reflections

Vinciquerra acknowledged that the Spider-Man universe needs to be rethought. “I think we need to reconsider our approach because it feels like we are ‘cursed.’ If we release another film, it will be destroyed, no matter if it is good or bad,”stated the CEO.

On a more reflective note, Dakota Johnsonprotagonist of Madame Websaid she was not surprised by the negative reception. In an interview with Bustleshe commented: “You can’t make art based on numbers and algorithms.” Johnson also reflected on his experience: “I’ve never done anything like this before. I probably never will again, because I know I don’t fit into this world. And now I understand that.”