Charlie's Angels opened in 2019 to mixed reviews, underperforming at the box office and being largely forgotten in the months that followed. With an $8 million opening weekend on a budget of $48 million, the movie went on to gross only $73 million at the global box office on a reported budget of around $50 million.
It was a shame as the franchise has potential (especially with a cast led by Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska) but not helping matters was the sheer amount of negativity surrounding the reboot before it was released.
At the time, star and director Elizabeth Banks wondered if moviegoers simply didn't want a female-led action movie. There was some controversy surrounding her remarks, as is so often the case on social media, with many hitting back at the writer, director, producer, and star's suggestion her movie's failings could be down to sexism.
Talking to Variety, Banks reflected on that time by saying, "I took full responsibility for 'Charlie’s Angels' - certainly no one else did. It was all laid on me and I happily accepted, because what else am I supposed to do?"
Despite releasing what proved to be a major flop, Banks has been able to avoid going to movie jail in the same way as so many female directors before her. Cocaine Bear is up next and looks set to be something of a comeback for the filmmaker as she looks to prove one disappointment won't define her career behind the camera.
"I wasn’t that worried about it," she says of avoiding that purgatory. "I mean, I do a lot of things."
It feels like Banks is done talking about Charlie's Angels, and while she may take "full responsibility," it's hardly her fault alone that the movie underperformed. The marketing campaign was pretty dismal, and it being promoted as some sort of statement on feminism was clearly a turn-off for moviegoers.
Unfortunately, its poor performance will have only reinforced the idea that female-led action movies don't do business. Hopefully, one will come along that's a hit (not involving a superhero), though we doubt the Charlie's Angels franchise will be revisited anytime soon.
What did you guys think about the 2019 movie?