Sony Pictures had a poor track record with Marvel Comics adaptations, so fans never had particularly high expectations for Madame Web. So, when the movie ultimately arrived with 12% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed only $100.3 million at the worldwide box office, it wasn't overly surprising.
However, while Madame Web was a colossal box office flop, it was also one of Netflix's biggest hits in 2024 and Sony's biggest title on the streaming platform overall.
According to Bloomberg, "That has prompted Sony to study whether its fees should be based at least in part on how a movie performs online. Currently, Netflix pays a fee per film based on domestic box-office performance. But since ticket sales aren’t always the best predictor, the studio has discussed asking its next partner to share how many users start a film or finish it."
"It’s also looking for some protection if movie ticket sales decline more in the future," the site adds.
This realisation that even box office flops can find great success on streaming has led to studios like Sony and Paramount seeking far more lucrative deals, with Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and HBO Max all vying for their movies and willing to pay hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
While most studios release the movies they produce on their own streaming platforms before selling them to rival platforms, Sony doesn't have its own on-demand service. That's led to a deal with Netflix that means Sony is making hundreds of millions of additional dollars per year for movies after they leave theaters.
Still, Sony's realisation that its movies are performing better than expected on streaming could change things moving forward.
As for why Madame Web has proven to be such a hit, we can surely put that down to a combination of people being unwilling to buy a ticket and morbid curiosity to check out a movie many have deemed among the worst Marvel adaptations ever.
Here's an interesting comparison showing Sony's box office winners in the U.S. versus its top five streaming titles...
Box Office Winners
5. The Garfield Movie
4. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
3. Venom: The Last Dance
2. It Ends With Us
1. Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Top Streaming Movies
5. Kraven the Hunter
4. It Ends With Us
3. The Garfield Movie
2. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
1. Madame Web
If you're a Madame Web fan, you can watch our interviews with filmmaker S.J. Clarkson and Ezekiel Sims actor Tahar Rahim in the players below.