Hollywood star Dakota Johnson returned to the screen taking on the titular role in the superhero film Madame Web. The movie, however, has been widely panned as one of the worst superhero films. It also became notorious not only for its lukewarm reception but also for Johnson’s blunt and disinterested attitude during its promotions.
However, her behavior might not be entirely surprising considering her challenging experience with the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise, a chapter that had a significant impact on her career. And it might also explain why she appeared so unhinged while promoting Madame Web.
Dakota Johnson Opened Up About Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil on Fifty Shades of Grey Set
Dakota Johnson had her breakthrough playing the role of Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades of Grey film series. Despite being critically panned, the films received significant success at the box office, making $1.3 billion worldwide.
However, leading it was far from easy for Johnson, given the constant conflicts between the studio, the director, and the book’s author, E.L. James. Johnson described the production of the franchise as mayhem, attributing much of the chaos to James’s controlling influence during production.
“I signed up to do a very different version of the film we ended up making,” she revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair. She read the monologue from the 1966 Swedish psychological drama, Persona, during her audition, believing that the project had the potential to be something special.
However, James, who had significant creative control, often clashed with others involved. Johnson described the whole situation as a battle, as she explained,
She had a lot of creative control, all day, every day, and she just demanded that certain things happen. There were parts of the books that just wouldn’t work in a movie — It was always a battle. Always.
However, the tension escalated after Charlie Hunnam, who was initially cast opposite Johnson, dropped out of the film. Johnson recalled being fearful when James, in response, scrapped the entire script, further complicating the already tumultuous production.
Dakota Johnson Revealed Unspoken Disagreements Behind Fifty Shades of Grey
Charlie Hunnam was cast alongside Johnson as Christian Grey but he left the project due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Jamie Dornan. And his departure led to the entire script being scrapped by Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James.
Reflecting on the experience, Johnson admitted, “I was young. I was 23. So it was scary,” as she described the situation as “something crazy.” The actress also revealed that there were numerous disagreements that she had not been able to discuss openly.
After Patrick Marber revised the script, there were constant disagreements regarding what the author, E.L. James, wanted and what the cast and crew aimed to create. Despite these challenges, she expressed pride in the final product, acknowledging the difficulty of promoting the film truthfully.
Madame Web reportedly also faced its own chaotic production issues, particularly regarding the film’s connection to the existing Spider-Man series and its links to characters like Venom.
The constant changes and conflicts might explain Johnson’s perceived disconnection during the film’s promotion, which led to her interviews being described as unhinged.
Fifty Shades of Grey film series is available to watch on Netflix.
Madame Web is available to watch on Netflix.
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