Highlights
- Emma Watson filled the shoes of Alicia Vikander in The Circle, earning mixed reviews despite being the highest-grossing Ponsoldt film.
- Watson reigned as Hermione Granger in Harry Potter before taking on other roles, one grossing over a billion dollars.
- The Circle was criticized by reviewers for bland performances and boring direction, but that didn’t stop it from making money.
Every actor has a movie that would be considered the worst of their career, and Emma Watson is no exception. Unfortunately for her, she almost never even starred in the film that takes that title in her acting portfolio. This was after her eventual role had originally been offered to a Swedish actress.
Watson first gained fame through her work in the Harry Potter franchise, but has gone on to establish herself as a global superstar with a myriad of other major roles. By the end of 2023, she boasted of 11 films that she starred in that went on to gross $100 million or more at the box office.
This impressive body of work could not save Watson from the worst effort of her career. But before she agreed to take part in the project, her role almost went to Swedish actor Alicia Vikander.
Emma Watson Starred In The Critical Flop The Circle Instead Of Alicia Vikander
The Emma Watson film that has been deemed the worst of her career is the 2017 techno-thriller film The Circle. She played the leading role, a character known as Mae Holland. Before she landed the part, however, it had first been offered to Gothenburg-born, Academy Award-winning actress Alicia Vikander.
The plot of The Circle revolves around Watson’s Mae Holland, who seizes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work for the world’s most powerful technology and social media company. Her involvement in a groundbreaking experiment tests the boundaries of privacy, ethics, and personal freedom.
The Circle was directed by James Ponsoldt, from a script that he wrote alongside David Eggers. As well as Watson, the movie also starred multiple other Hollywood heavy hitters, including Tom Hanks, John Boyega, Bill Paxton, and others.
Watson was a late addition to the line-up, however, the role of Mae having been initially offered to Vikander. The Swedish star is known for roles in Testament of Youth, Ex Machina, and her Oscar-winning performance in The Danish Girl, among others.
Despite The Negative Reviews, Emma Watson’s The Circle Gave A Decent Box Office Performance
Although The Circle was blessed with a star-studded cast, the film could not escape the clutches of very unimpressed critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie is given a score of 16%, from a total of 148 reviews. Some of those are as scathing as can be.
Emma Watson’s Films At The Box Office
|
Film Title |
Emma Watson’s Role |
Production Budget |
Box Office Returns |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Regression (2015) |
Angela Gray |
$15 million |
$17.7 million |
|
The Bling Ring (2013) |
Nicolette “Nicki” Moore |
$8.2 million |
$20.2 million |
|
The Circle (2017) |
Mae Holland |
$18 million |
$40.7 million |
|
Little Women (2019) |
Margaret “Meg” March |
$40 million |
$218.9 million |
|
Beauty and the Beast (2017) |
Belle |
$160–255 million |
$1.266 billion |
Ben Sachs of the Chicago Reader, for instance, went in hard on the director and his work, only saving some kind words for Emma Watson’s character. “James Ponsoldt (who adapted the book with Eggers) barely develops any character besides Watson’s, piling on narrative complications instead,” Sachs wrote.
YouTuber Chris Stuckmann was not even half as gracious. “Bland performances from talented actors, and boring direction from a very talented director, and awful editing,” he said. Another review described the film as “stuck in a loop,” while one more called it out for lacking a narrative.
Despite all this negative feedback, The Circle didn’t disappoint at the box office. From a production budget of $18 million, the production raked in $40.7 million worldwide, and became the highest grossing James Ponsoldt film ever.
Why Did Emma Watson Take Over The Role In The Circle From Alicia Vikander?
While Alicia Vikander has proved her mettle with an Oscar Award, it is doubtful that her potential presence in The Circle instead of Emma Watson would have made much of a difference. After all, the consensus appears to be that the Harry Potter star was one of—if not the only—saving grace for the production.
The Los Angeles Times confirmed in June 2015 that Watson had stepped into the shoes of Vikander for the James Ponsoldt film, joining Tom Hanks, John Boyega and the rest of the cast. A quote by the director from the report read, “Emma Watson is one of my favorite actors, and her incredible talent, sensitivity and deep intelligence will bring an electric energy to The Circle.”
No official reason was given as to why Vikander had not gone through with the plans to portray Mae Holland. However, the decision did coincide with the news that she would be starring in Jason Bourne, the fifth film in the famous Matt Damon franchise.
Source: NewsFinale
