Kristen Stewart Hated Making The Charlie's Angels Reboot
Kristen Stewart has become one of our most celebrated actors. It's an admittedly surprising outcome, given that her big break came in the YA blockbuster "Twilight." Ever since that saga ended though, Stewart has been very picky about the blockbuster films she's taken part in. In 2019, she decided to have a bite at that apple once more with "Charlie's Angels." The movie didn't perform particularly well at the time — and now, Stewart has revealed that she did not enjoy making the reboot either.
Variety recently sat down with Stewart in honor of her upcoming film "Love Lies Bleeding," which made /Film's most anticipated movies of 2024. During the sit-down, Steward was fed lines from her career and at one point one from "Charlie's Angels" came up in the form of, "Did you know that it takes men an additional seven seconds to perceive a woman as a threat compared to a man?" Stewart then shared her feelings about the film, explaining:
"That was from a little film called 'Charlie's Angels.' We wanted a strong opener, you know? We wanted to really like broadcast what the movie was about. It was a good idea at the time. I hated making that movie. I don't know what else to say to you. Honestly, the three [...] you can't touch [that]. Cameron, Lucy and Drew [...] I love that movie. I love that movie! If that says anything."
Stewart very clearly has reverence for the 2000 "Charlie's Angels" movie directed by McG that starred Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, and Drew Barrymore. As for the version she starred in directed by Elizabeth Banks? Her feelings are evidently more complicated.
What went wrong with Charlie's Angels?
Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska starred as the titular Angels in the 2019 "Charlie's Angels," with Patrick Stewart and Noah Centineo showing up in supporting roles. Sony decided to market the film almost strictly to women, which didn't sit well with Banks. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2022, she voiced her frustration:
"So much of the story that the media wanted to tell about 'Charlie's Angels' was that it was some feminist manifesto. 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 strategy didn't pay off. "Charlie's Angels" opened against "Ford v Ferrari," which made $31 million and topped the charts, leaving Banks' reboot to settle for third place (pulling in just over $8 million). The following weekend, Disney released "Frozen II" and the writing was on the wall. "Charlie's Angels" finished its run with $73 million worldwide against a $48 million budget. It was also met with mixed reviews, which didn't help matters.
All of that being said, a movie not doing well doesn't mean that everyone had to have a bad time making it. While Stewart declined to go into much detail, she doesn't appear to be lamenting the fate of the film. She didn't enjoy making it and that, undoubtedly, has impacted her decision-making in the years since.
"Love Lies Bleeding" opens in theaters on March 8, 2024.