Margot Robbie doesn’t understand why ‘Babylon’ flopped
Hollywood star Margot Robbie has revealed she still doesn’t understand why her 2022 film, Babylon, failed to be a success.
Babylon follows a group of people in Hollywood as the industry made the transition from silent to talking pictures, with many teething issues along the way. The production boasted an overall budget of $80 million but only made $63 million at the worldwide box office, not recouping the costs of making the movie.
On the Talking Pictures Podcast, hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, Robbie expressed her disbelief at people’s lack of enthusiasm for the film, which was directed by Academy Award-winning director Damien Chazelle and co-starred Brad Pitt and Diego Calva.
When Mankiewicz told the actor that he didn’t understand why people hadn’t liked the film, Robbie said, “I am still saying that. I love it. I don’t get it either. 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 like, ‘How is that possible?”
Robbie’s character in the film, Nellie Leroy, was inspired by real-life actor Clara Bow. She is a larger-than-life performer who is desperate to make it in Hollywood and become the next big star, with dangerous consequences as she discovers the harsh reality of working in the film industry.
After the success of La La Land, which swept up at the Oscars in 2017, audiences were eagerly awaiting the arrival of Babylon, with a star-studded cast that was predicted to be a huge success. Robbie has only spoken highly of the director and her time on set with him, stating on the podcast, “Damian is so thorough. 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”.
Chazellle’s work ethic and passion helped him become the youngest director to win an Oscar for ‘Best Director’ at the age of 32.
What is Margot Robbie’s next project?
It has recently been announced that Robbie will join the cast of Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights adaptation alongside Jacob Elordi.
The film is currently in pre-production and will begin shooting next year in the United Kingdom. The casting choice of Robbie and Elordi has been scrutinised as the Australian pair don’t match the descriptions of the characters in the beloved classic novel.
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