We’ve all seen our fair share of Hollywood flops, and even the brightest stars aren’t immune to the occasional box office bomb. Dakota Johnson recently opened up about her not-so-great experience with the film Madame Web, which didn’t exactly light up the ticket booths. Reflecting on the film’s struggle, Johnson boldly declared she’s done with this type of movie for good.
With a hefty budget rumored between $80 and $100 million, Madame Web scraped just over that in theater earnings, essentially making it a financial disappointment.
Not only did it not perform well financially, but it also was a dud with critics and audiences, earning a measly 11 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Ouch, indeed.
In light of the poor response, Johnson wasn’t exactly shocked. “Unfortunately, I’m not surprised that this has gone down the way it has,” she explained in an interview with Bustle.
It’s not just Johnson who has regrets about past roles. Jack Black shared similar sentiments about his 2001 film Shallow Hal. The romantic comedy portrayed a superficial man, played by Black, who falls in love with a 300-pound woman, seeing her inner beauty.
Despite his initial excitement to work with a funny team, Black later recognized the film didn’t meet his expectations. “I had an opportunity to work with some dudes I thought were really funny, but it didn’t turn out as I’d hoped,” he reflected in an interview reported by Metro in 2006. “I wasn’t proud of it, and I got paid a lot of money, so, in retrospect, it feels like a sell-out.”
According to Parade.com, Black’s paycheck for Shallow Hal was around $2 million.
His co-star Gwyneth Paltrow, who had to wear a fat suit for her role, also expressed her disappointment. “The first day I tried the fat suit on, I was in the Tribeca Grand and I walked through the lobby. It was so sad. It was so disturbing. No one would make eye contact with me because I was obese. I felt humiliated,” Paltrow shared with The Guardian in 2006.
She also criticized the unflattering wardrobe choices for her character, adding to her discomfort. “For some reason, the clothes they make for women that are overweight are horrible. I felt humiliated because people were really dismissive.”
Despite these early career setbacks, both Black and Paltrow have bounced back with multiple successful projects. Black has delighted audiences in films like Jumanji, Kung Fu Panda, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Meanwhile, Paltrow has made a significant mark with roles in Iron Man and Contagion.