Skip to main content

Margot Robbie remains baffled that ‘Babylon’ bombed

The actress is convinced that the movie will eventually be seen as a classic.

margot robbie baffled babylon bombed and diego calva in
Paramount Pictures

Margot Robbie is one of the biggest stars in the world, and her big bet to produce and star in Barbie paid off splendidly. Not every movie in Robbie’s career was a success, though, and some of the failures apparently surprise the actress more than others. Among the biggest surprises was Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, which was released to a mixed critical response at the end of 2022 and wildly underperformed on a pretty significant budget, making just $63 million worldwide on an $80 million budget.

“I am still saying that,” Robbie said during an appearance on the Talking Pictures podcast. “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?’”

BABYLON | Official Trailer (2022 Movie) – Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Tobey Maguire

The movie is set in Hollywood in the 1920s and follows several characters as they navigate the transition from silent cinema into sound. Robbie plays Nellie LaRoy, a short-lived it girl who finds her career upended by the introduction of sound.

Recommended Videos

“Damian is so thorough,” Robbie said of making the film. “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 always wanted more. Even when we were prepping.”

Joe Allen
Joe Allen is a freelance culture writer based in upstate New York. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The…
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos thinks movie theaters are outdated because he wants to
We're not surprised, but we're definitely a little disappointed
Millie Bobby Brown in The Electric State

Hollywood CEOs, especially these days, are not exactly known for being in touch with the reasons people love their products. Even by that low standard, though, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos's recent comments about the theatrical experience were still pretty rough.

During a brief discussion at the Time100 Summit, Sarandos said that Netflix was "saving Hollywood."

Read more
Julia Garner was pretty sure the Silver Surfer had to be a man before joining Fantastic Four
Garner is providing more detail about her version of the character.
Julia Garner as the Silver Surfer

Now that we've gotten our first look at Julia Garner's female version of the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: First Steps, we're also learning a little bit more about the Emmy winner wound up signing on to the project. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Garner revealed that she wasn't even aware that her character, Shalla-Bal, or the female version of the Silver Surfer, existed until she met with director Matt Shakman.

“I met up with Matt, who’s lovely. We met up at some restaurant in Burbank or something. I don’t even remember, but I knew it was for the Fantastic Four,” she explained. “And then I was confused because I was like, ‘Wait, isn’t the Silver Surfer a man?’ I was just like, “Okay, well, I’ll play anything.” [Laughs] I was a very big fan of Matt’s, so there was already, in my mind, like, ‘I should probably meet with Matt Shakman because he’s a very smart director and I love his work.’ And then he was explaining to me that it’s actually Shalla-Bal and that whole thing.”

Read more
The next Hunger Games movie has found its lead actors
The movie will be set 24 years before the original Hunger Games.
Sunrise on the Reaping cover

Following the success of Sunrise on the Reaping, the latest book in the Hunger Games series, Deadline is reporting that the film adaptation that is set to release in 2026 has found its lead actors. Joseph Zada will play Haymitch in the film, while Whitney Peak will play Lenore Dove, Haymitch's romantic partner.

The film will be set 40 years after the events of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and 24 years before Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her sister's place in the Hunger Games. The book follows Haymitch, the District 12 victor who mentors Katniss and Peeta, as he wins his own Games on their 50th anniversary.

Read more