Elizabeth Banks Claims 2019 "Charlie's Angels" Remake Was A Huge Failure Because Of The Media's "Gendered Agenda"
"Charlie's Angels" was a royal flop at the box office, but now Banks is saying it's because the media marketed it as a women's film—even though she spent most of 2019 telling everyone that the remake was meant for feminists.
In 2019, Sony Pictures released a remake of Charlie’s Angels, directed by Elizabeth Banks and starring Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska. While the anticipation for the action-comedy was high, it ended up being a box office disappointment, grossing only $73 million worldwide. But Banks claims that it had nothing to do with the movie being a huge flop; it was actually because of the media's gendered agenda.
Elizabeth Banks Claims 2019 "Charlie's Angels" Remake Was a Huge Failure Because of the Media's "Gendered Agenda"
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Banks revealed her frustration with how the media framed the film as a feminist manifesto. The media seemed fixated on the fact that Charlie's Angels was directed by a woman and starred three talented actresses, apparently overshadowing other aspects of the film. For Banks, this gendered agenda was both restrictive and misleading.
Banks expressed that the film was never meant to be just for women or solely about feminism; she wished that the remake "had not been presented as just for girls." She loved the franchise and saw potential in a modern take on the story. However, she lamented how the media's perspective overshadowed her vision and even pigeonholed the audience for the movie.
“So much of the story that the media wanted to tell about Charlie’s Angels was that it was some feminist manifesto,” Banks said. “People kept saying, ‘You’re the first female director of Charlie’s Angels!' And I was like, ‘They’ve only done a TV show and McG’s movies … what are you talking about? There’s not this long legacy.’ I just loved the franchise. There was not this gendered agenda from me. That was very much laid on top of the work, and it was a little bit of a bummer. It felt like it pigeonholed me and the audience for the movie.”
The marketing approach to the film further complicated matters. According to Banks, the promotional strategies were focused primarily on targeting women. Partnerships with brands like Drybar, a hair-blowing salon, were a clear indication of this gender-specific approach. Banks recalled her efforts to promote the film to a broader audience, including men, by requesting advertisements during events like baseball playoffs. Unfortunately, her request highlighted the industry's narrow view of movies starring women, leaving her to reflect on the lessons learned from this experience.
Banks has said previously that much of the film's failure has been her fault. In an interview with Variety earlier this year, she said, “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?”
It's interesting that Banks is making this claim now. In 2019, she spent much time complaining about the fact that all the other superhero movies that were successful—Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, etc.—were a huge hit because they appealed to men and belonged to the "male genre." But her remake of Charlie's Angels was going to be different; at least, that's what she kept telling people when it first came out. Banks whined about the fact that Wonder Woman was a hit because it fed into the larger comic book world, which is dominated by men.
"We need more women’s voices supported with money because that’s the power. The power is in the money,” she said in 2019.
So which one is it, Elizabeth? Because you can't have it both ways. Either you marketed the film and promoted it as a big moment for women's empowerment or you didn't like the fact that the media marketed it as a women's film. Only years after the movie was a complete failure and she felt embarrassed about the way she handled the press surrounding the film is she coming forward to say that it shouldn't have been pushed as chick flick. Hindsight is 20/20, though. Maybe Banks will take a different approach with her next female remake—although she'll probably double down once again and try to transform another classic into a feminist anthem.
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