The recently released Madame Web has failed epically, both among general audiences and critics, and surprisingly enough, fans weren’t shocked by the film’s failure. But there was something related to the film that did end up shocking fans; something related to S.J. Clarkson, the very director who helmed the Dakota Johnson-starrer box-office disaster.
Recently, a fan unearthed a fact about S.J. Clarkson that many other fans are finding hard to believe: The filmmaker has some ties to the HBO masterpiece series Succession. And these ties aren’t related to the cast of the show, but rather, to the directing crew of it, considering how Clarkson helmed an episode of the chef-d’oeuvre!
S.J. Clarkson, Director of Madame Web, Helmed Succession too!
S.J. Clarkson may have been a fairly new name in the industry that many fans must have heard of only through Madame Web as its helmer, but the mastermind director has had her fair share of renowned television masterpieces that she has helmed.
Among multiple others, these include previous Marvel projects as well, like 2 episodes of Jessica Jones and 2 episodes of The Defenders (she served as the writer + director on both), both of which were critically acclaimed projects.
However, what amazed fans the most was the fact that Clarkson had also directed the eighth episode, titled Prague, of the first season of HBO’s multiple-Emmy-winning recently ended superhit series, Succession.
This surprise came after a fan (@EmmaTolkin) posted to X a screenshot of director S.J. Clarkson’s name being tied with the very episode of Succession that introduced fans to the iconic bachelor party that Matthew Macfadyen‘s Tom Wambsgans had.
I’M SORRY. THE DIRECTOR OF MADAME WEB ALSO DIRECTED PRAGUE, THE EP OF SUCCESSION WITH TOM’S BACHELOR PARTY??? HUH?!?????? pic.twitter.com/Fbhe97PpPu
— 𝕯𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖔 𝕭𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖘 (@EmmaTolkin) February 19, 2024
The reason why fans are having such stunned reactions to this news is inevitably because most of them can’t believe that the very director who helmed a box-office bomb like Madame Web was also the mastermind behind episode Prague in Succession.
For the record, the S.J. Clarkson-directed and Dakota Johnson-starrer Madame Web has become one of the most critically panned films from Sony and Marvel, and even fans are finding it hard to defend it from the wrath of critics.
Moreover, the film that notably cost more than $80 million to make (as per CBR) has barely crossed the $50 million mark in its worldwide grossing while playing in theatres for almost a week as of this writing, as reported by Box Office Mojo, spelling only one thing for the movie: DOOM.
Fans React to News of Madame Web Director Having Helmed Succession
Following this revelation about S.J. Clarkson, some fans are finding it really hard to believe that the very person who helmed a box office bomb also previously directed an iconic episode of a superhit TV series. Commenting on the X post, here’s what they’re saying:
why is this hard to believe😭
— ☆ (@realonx1) February 20, 2024
SHE DIRECTED JESSICA JONES TOO AND THE EPS WERE GOOD WHAT HAPPENED
— Daisy Fung (@huntfausts) February 20, 2024
@rosieosho I can't believe this
— Charlotte-R (@bingbongwalton) February 20, 2024
At the same time, multiple other fans jumped to her defense, because really, everyone knows how little creative control is given to the directors in big-budgeted movies.
Plus, this was the very first proper movie that S.J. Clarkson directed after all her masterpiece television series’ episodes, so the creators must have held some constraints on her on that level as well. Defending her through this same argument, here’s what other fans are saying:
To be clear I blame Sony for like 90% of this movie not working!!!
— 𝕯𝖎𝖑𝖉𝖔 𝕭𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖘 (@EmmaTolkin) February 20, 2024
She didn’t direct anything. Sony directed the movie and used her as the scapegoat.
— TN (@Nightrade97) February 20, 2024
this is how I know Sony directed the movie
— sam hernández vii rebirth (@sam_onthemoon) February 20, 2024
They scrapped the original storyline halfway through filming and the studio got involved. It's not her fault, Sony just sucks.
— Michelle 🍉 🇵🇸 (she/ella) (@MichelleRedSoul) February 20, 2024
It’s an episode of television. Vs a full length IP driven studio meddled with movie. Totes the same.
— thisisappa (@appacuseme) February 20, 2024
I really doubt any of this mess was her fault
— ( . Y . ) (@sike14st) February 20, 2024
From what the current situation reads, while fans were previously dissing the creators of Madame Web for creating such a disaster, after this revelation, they are seemingly appreciating director S.J. Clarkson more and are realizing that Madame Web wasn’t quite all her fault.
Madame Web is still playing in theatres.
