Australian star Margot Robbie has defended her $120 million film Babylon after it sank without trace at the box office, saying she is baffled by the public’s response to her efforts and those of co-stars Brad Pitt and Olivia Wilde.
Speaking on the Talking Pictures podcast, the actress who leapt to the forefront of public acclaim in Barbie said she was left “confused” after her earlier effort disappointed critics and moviegoers alike when it was released in 2022.
“I love it. I don’t get it either,” she told podcast host Ben Mankiewicz when he said he doesn’t understand why audiences rejected the comedy-drama, New.com.au reports.
“I know I am biased because I am very close to the project and I obviously believe in it, but I still can’t figure out why people hated it. I wonder if in 20 years people are going to be like, ‘Wait, Babylon didn’t do well at the time?’ Like when you hear that Shawshank Redemption was a failure at the time and you’re like, ‘How is that possible?’”
(L-R) Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva attend the UK Premiere of Paramount Pictures’ “Babylon” at BFI IMAX Waterloo on January 12, 2023 in London, England. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Babylon was directed by La La Land Oscar winner Damian Chazelle.
The movie focused on silent movie stars in the 1920s as they struggled to adapt as the industry transitioned to sound films. Robbie played wide-eyed ingenue Nellie LaRoy, a character inspired by the real-life actress Clara Bow.
The film had a budget of approximately $120 million to make but it bombed, delivering a pitiful $23 million in the U.S. box office and $96 million worldwide. By industry calculations it failed to break even, the news.com outlet affirmed.
The reviews reflected the box office with outlets lining up to give Robbie’s movie the thumbs down.
The Guardian wrote it was a “messy, exhausting tale of early Hollywood” before adding:
Despite star wattage from Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, the La La Land director’s overcooked portrait of a nascent Tinseltown is more hysterical than historical.
However, in Robbie’s eyes the movie was a success thanks to director Chazelle at the helm and will forever be close to her heart.
“Damian is so thorough,” she cooed on the podcast.
“Do you know what I loved so much about working with him? I felt like no one had really put their foot to the floor with the gas, but he wanted that all the time. He wanted more always. Even when we were prepping.”
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