The latest reboot of Charlie’s Angels was a massive flop over the weekend, taking in a paltry $8.6M domestic opening, $27.9M worldwide. Despite average reviews and a B+ Cinemascore, audiences just didn’t feel like showing up for Elizabeth Banks and Kristen Stewart.
Ahead of the film’s release, writer, producer, director, and star Elizabeth Banks explained that there was a reason that the movie could flop (and flop it did).
“If this movie doesn’t make money it reinforces a stereotype in Hollywood that men don’t go see women do action movies. [Audience members will] go and see a comic book movie with Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel because that’s a male genre. So even though those are movies about women, they put them in the context of feeding the larger comic book world, so it’s all about, yes, you’re watching a Wonder Woman movie but we’re setting up three other characters or we’re setting up Justice League.
By the way, I’m happy for those characters to have box office success. But we need more women’s voices supported with money because that’s the power. The power is in the money.”
She was unfortunately correct about that possibility, and she makes a good point. However, after the movie did indeed crash and burn at ht box office, Banks was a bit more gracious in her response. She even managed a self-deprecating joke on Twitter.
Well, if you’re going to have a flop, make sure your name is on it at least 4x. I’m proud of #CharliesAngels and happy it’s in the world.”
There were plenty of people in her replies offering their support and asking for a sequel, but they probably shouldn’t hold their breath.
Well, if you’re going to have a flop, make sure your name is on it at least 4x. I’m proud of #CharliesAngels and happy it’s in the world.
— Elizabeth Banks (@ElizabethBanks) November 18, 2019
Even if it probably won’t even make back it’s budget, the cast of Charlie’s Angels seemed to have a great time making it. Stewart, who at least is earning a lot of praise for her goofy performance, told Variety that it was refreshing to make an action movie that catered specifically to women.
“We all talk about the male gaze a lot versus something that feels a little bit more embedded and inside the perspective of women. It’s really nice to see how unintentional the motives are. It’s not like, ‘We need to empower women!’ No, it’s actually a story told by an empowered woman, so it’s just sort of imbued with that feeling.”
Banks agreed.
“It’s always a good time to have a female-fronted action franchise out there. It’s never a bad time for that. I wanted people to leave just feeling super hopeful about the sh*tty world we’re living in.”
Ultimately, Stewart loved working on a project where women were in charge.
“I’ve never made a big movie where the boss was allowed to be a girl. It was weird, and it was so cool. I could see the way that she had to traverse this world a little differently in order to be heard. I could see where there were times where naturally, it’s harder to hear a woman be assertive. She had to really understand communication, and she’s really good at that…I have to say though, it is remarkable. On a smaller move? Sure. But on a big-budget huge movie that really aspires to be a franchise, not normal. So that fact that she kick-started this and made it happen and everyone trusted her, including the studio, it’s wild. It’s really special.”
According to Banks, “The main thing I want it to convince executives that they can trust women. If I deliver a good movie with this amazing cast, we made something really fun that people really want to see, I just hope I convince more executives to trust us — just trust women with the job.”
In a world where male directors are allowed to continually fail and still get endless chances, here’s hoping Banks and other women gets the same shot.
