Did Madame Web change the landscape of streaming? Sony Pictures is currently reevaluating its contracts after the film’s surprising second life.
Almost everyone knows the story of Madame Web at this point. A flop that performed so badly both critically and at the box office that Sony Pictures axed their multi-year plan for a connected Spider-Man villain universe and shifted their focus toward animated projects. Many thought the film would simply fade into obscurity, but it isn’t that simple.
Madame Web actually became one of the biggest streaming hits of 2024. In fact, it was the number 1 streamed title for Sony Pictures during the year, beating out major successes like Bad Boys: Ride or Die and The Garfield Movie. This has left many of the studios’ brass scratching their head and changing their plans.
A report by Bloomberg reveals that Sony Pictures is currently trying to negotiate its contract with Netflix in response to the success of projects like Madame Web on streaming. Currently, film rights are bought for a flat fee based on box office performance. Now, Sony Pictures is considering ways to use the film’s performance on the streaming service to augment how much the rights cost.
If Sony Pictures finds some way to work streaming success into their next contract, this could be a massive game-changer for the industry. For over a decade, studios have been lost as to how to supplement the income that used to come from DVD sales in the world of streaming. Now it’s possible that Madame Web was the key to solving this conundrum.
Madame Web is now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned for the latest news regarding the future of the Sony Universe of Marvel Characters and make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more content!
