Margot Robbie may be one of Hollywood’s biggest actresses at the moment, with huge films like Barbie catapulting her to international fame in recent years, not everyone is impressed with her repertoire, including Kristen Stewart, who called the actress out as well as the industry as a whole for producing shallow movies.
Speaking to Porter, Kristen claimed that Hollywood is trying to make to seem like they’re covering a lot of deep subject matter, like feminism, in recent films, but she says they’re only scratching the surface.
Kristen Says Hollywood Needs To Portray Women Better
“[There’s a] thinking that we can check these little boxes, and then do away with the patriarchy, and how we’re all made of it. It’s easy for them to be like, ‘Look what we’re doing. We’re making Maggie Gyllenhaal’s movie! We’re making Margot Robbie’s movie!’ And you’re like, ‘Ok, cool. You’ve chosen four,’” the Twilight alum said.
Kristen specifically says she hopes to see the entertainment industry covering deeper subjects pertaining to women, explaining, “And I’m in awe of those women, I love those women, [but] it feels phony. If we’re congratulating each other for broadening perspective, when we haven’t really done enough, then we stop broadening.”
Kristen seems to be challenging the industry with her own directorial debut, an adaption of the 2011 book The Chronology of Water, which she says will cover themes like “incest and periods.”
“I’m going to make this movie before I ever work for someone else. Yeah, I will quit the f*****g business. I won’t make a-f*****g-nother movie until I make this movie. I will tell you that, for sure. I think that will get things going,” she explained.
‘Barbie’ Was A Huge Movie For Margot’s Career
Stewart may not think movies like Barbie are doing enough for female representation, but it was a ground breaking movie in many ways, including for Margot Robbie, who made a huge profit from the film thanks to both her lead acting role as well as work as an executive producer.
Margot Robbie initially received $12.5 million upfront for her role in the film, solidifying her status as one of the highest-paid actresses of 2022. Additionally, as a producer, she earned a significant payday if the film performed well at the box office, which it indeed did.
With Barbie surpassing $1 billion in box office earnings, Robbie’s total earnings were expected to soar to at least $50 million, encompassing both her salary and bonuses. The movie debuted in theaters on July 21, 2023, achieving a remarkable $162 million in its opening weekend alone. By August 15, its global earnings had exceeded $1.1 billion.
With a net worth of $40 million at the time, Robbie stood to more than double her wealth with the success of Barbie, potentially making her one of Hollywood’s most financially successful actresses. Reflecting on her journey, Robbie shared a personal anecdote last year about a time when she struggled financially, highlighting how far she had come since then, even being able to pay off her mother’s mortgage with her first major paycheck.