Emma Roberts Blamed "Internet Culture" For "Madame Web's" Lack Of Success, And I'm Curious If You Agree

Emma Roberts explained why movies like Madame Web sometimes flop at the box office, and suggested the internet might be to blame.

Emma Roberts sits in a radio studio, wearing a sleeveless dress, next to a microphone
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In an interview with Variety, the Space Cadet actor said, more or less, that nobody can honestly put their finger on a movie's unpredictable fate. But she has a working theory.

Emma Roberts in a strapless, neutral-toned top with metallic skirt, posing for a photo against a blue background
Kristina Bumphrey / Variety via Getty Images

"Things work; things don't work. Everyone likes to act like they can predict if they're going to work or they're not," Emma told Variety. "And the truth is, you can't. Things do badly, and then they blow up later on TikTok."

Emma Roberts in a leather-textured dress with a white collar, standing against a plain background

"Things do well, but then you watch them, and you're like, 'This did well?' There is no secret. It's about doing something goodish and it hitting at the right time. Everything else is like a wish and a prayer."

Dia Dipasupil / Getty Images

If you remember, Emma starred in the S. J. Clarkson Marvel Comics film alongside Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, Celeste O'Connor, Tahar Rahim, and Adam Scott back in February.

Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, Sydney Sweeney, Dakota Johnson, Celeste O'Connor, Isabela Merced, Jennifer Beals, Tahar Rahim, and Zosia Mamet on the red carpet for "Madame Web."
Michael Buckner / Variety via Getty Images

Since shortly after its release, the movie has maintained an 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 57% Audience Score.

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 11% Tomatometer from 259 reviews, 57% Audience Score from 1,000+ verified ratings

Despite the audience and critics response, Emma "personally loved" the Marvel movie.

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"I'm not intimidated by failure, and I'm not intimidated by people having negative thoughts about something. I personally really loved 'Madame Web,'" Emma said.

Emma Roberts smiles on the red carpet, wearing an off-shoulder gown with a braid down her back
Lionel Hahn / WireImage

"I really enjoyed the movie. I thought everyone in it was great. The director, S. J. Clarkson, I think did an amazing job. She's the reason I wanted to do that movie."

Emma Roberts poses against a snowy mountain backdrop at a red carpet event. She is wearing an elegant, strapless dress
Michael Buckner / WWD via Getty Images

Emma has an idea of why the movie didn't receive positive reviews from the audience and critics.

"If it wasn't for internet culture and everything being made into a joke, I think that the reception would've been different," she said.

Emma Roberts on the red carpet in an elegant, strapless dress, with background showing CBS and CMT logos
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She's not wrong. Everywhere from New York Times and Letterboxd reviews had strong opinions about the movie.

A review by tyler with a green star reads, "this makes morbius look like the godfather," with 16,857 likes

And the internet wasted no time in flooding timelines with jokes and memes about the movie at the time of its release.

Twitter: @kirawontmiss

Dimension Films / Twitter: @mfbenji

Twitter: @OnlineAlison

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"And that's what bums me out about a lot of stuff, even stuff that I've done, is people just make such a joke out of everything now," Emma added.

On the other hand, it wasn't just the audience and critics who gave these opinions on the movie. The film's star, Dakota Johnson, said she wasn't surprised by its disappointment.

Dakota Johnson at an event, wearing a dark blazer and a white top, smiling at the camera
Amanda Edwards / Getty Images for Film Independent

"Unfortunately, I'm not surprised that this has gone down the way it has," Dakota told Bustle, noting it's challenging to get movies made, and audiences are not easily fooled by cutting corners. "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."

A woman with long hair looks through a spiderweb hanging between tree branches in a forest

Do you agree that internet culture contributes to the unfair negative perception of TV and movies, or are they just that bad before they even hit theaters?

Read Emma Roberts's full interview here.