Sydney Sweeney’s Strategic Move With Madame Web

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At this point, Madame Web is almost a joke, but it might have actually been a helpful step for Sydney Sweeney’s career. The movie is considered one of the worst superhero films ever made, and it joins a growing number of Spider-Man spin-offs that didn’t really need to be made.

Like many superhero movies, this one will likely be quickly forgotten. However, it was an important film for Sydney Sweeney, giving her a significant role as Julia Cornwall.

Madame Web Was A Calculated Business Decision For Sydney Sweeney

While Dakota Johnson received most of the criticism for the movie Madame Web, Sydney Sweeney knows the film wasn’t well-received. In an interview with Josh Horowitz, she visibly reacted with surprise – and a slight smirk – when the interviewer mentioned people cheering for the movie on YouTube.

She didn’t seem to have high expectations for how people would react, even joking that a single comment from the audience – “It wasn’t that bad” – was good enough for Sony to use in advertising. She then explained that despite its flaws, Madame Web actually led to the string of big projects she’s been working on, which started in 2023.

Sydney Sweeney was simultaneously working on both Anyone But You and Madame Web. While trying to get Anyone But You made, she approached Sony, the studio behind Madame Web. Because they were already collaborating on the superhero film, Sony agreed to also produce the romantic comedy.

Anyone But You Proved Sydney Sweeney Was Ready To Be A Leading Actress

The film Anyone But You signaled that Sydney Sweeney was transitioning from her beginnings as a teen star on Euphoria to a leading role in mainstream movies. While she’d appeared in Reality a few months prior, that was a smaller, streaming-exclusive film made for HBO.

The movie served as a breakout moment for both Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. Although critics weren’t overly impressed (with a 53% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the film earned $220 million in ticket sales, demonstrating Sydney Sweeney’s power to draw audiences (according to BoxOfficeMojo).

Even though the movie had some issues with its plot and script, the strongest parts of Anyone But You came from the connection between Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Their chemistry kept audiences invested in their characters and what would happen next. Leading a big romantic comedy isn’t easy, but Sweeney showed she was up to the challenge and truly excelled.

The Housemaid Has Given Sydney Sweeney Her First Major Box Office Win

Daniel McFadden/Lionsgate

Sydney Sweeney is known for her roles in romantic comedies, but she’s recently started appearing in more suspenseful and dramatic films, like her latest movie, The Housemaid. In this 2025 film, directed by Paul Feig, Sweeney plays Millie Calloway, a housemaid with a past criminal record. Amanda Seyfried plays Nina Winchester, the woman who hires her.

Based on Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same title, the movie The Housemaid centers around Millie and the disturbing secrets she uncovers within the Winchester home. It debuted on December 19, 2025, with a $35 million budget (according to Variety) and has since grossed $133 million globally (as reported by TheNumbers).

This is already a major achievement for Sweeney, and her success is expected to grow in the coming weeks. The film itself is a clever and entertaining thriller with a classic feel, and its strong ticket sales suggest it’s truly standing out in today’s challenging movie market.

Sydney Sweeney’s Movie Choices Have All Been Interesting

Photo courtesy of NEON.

Sydney Sweeney has built a remarkably diverse career, successfully avoiding roles that would have pigeonholed her. Instead of sticking to the typical romantic comedies or teen dramas that often follow a breakout performance, she’s chosen more challenging projects. Following her success with Euphoria, one of her first major roles in 2023 was in Reality, where she portrays the true story of whistleblower Reality Winner in a gritty, focused film.

Sydney Sweeney then took on more mainstream roles in films like Anyone But You and Madame Web. She followed those with Immaculate, a disturbing horror film with strong religious themes and a captivating performance by Sweeney. After that came Eden and Echo Valley, both complex and intriguing thrillers.

Sydney Sweeney recently played boxer Christy Martin in the movie Christy, though the film wasn’t successful. However, her performance was incredibly energetic and a departure from her usual roles. That’s why The Housemaid is a good fit for her – it’s another project that shows her willingness to take on unexpected and different roles. It’s hard to predict what she’ll do next, which makes her work so interesting.

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2026-01-05 23:59