Margot Robbie: “I Consider Audience Always”

Aussie actors Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi and Joel Edgerton gathered for an onstage interview recently while the former two were promoting Emerald Fennell’s new “Wuthering Heights” film in Australia.

Edgerton moderated the interview session for GQ Australia, where one question turned to how much Robbie, in her capacity as a producer on the film, considers the audience when making this kind of movie as opposed to how focused she is on the story.

The new “Wuthering Heights” opened in the top spot at the domestic box office, but also generated polarising responses from audiences, with both critics and audiences seemingly mixed on the film. Robbie has produced all three of Fennell’s feature directorial efforts, each of those proving similarly divisive.

Robbie says how the audience reacts is all she thinks about on every film:

“I consider audience always. I’ve never, ever been on set and thought, ‘What are the critics going to think of this?’ I’m like, ‘What’s an audience going to feel right now? What’s their emotional response going to be?’ I believe you should make movies for the people who are going to buy tickets to see the movies. It’s as simple as that.

I love working with Emerald [Fennell] because she always prioritises an emotional experience over a heady idea. She’s very smart. She’s got great ideas, but she’ll let a cool idea fall by the wayside to offer the option that’s going to be most exciting for the audience. I really appreciate that about her.”

Though “Barbie” was a massive critical and commercial success, Robbie has also had a number of critical and commercial duds in recent years, including “Babylon,” “Amsterdam”, and “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey”.

Her company has multiple projects in development right now, including a “Monopoly” film, a “The Sims” movie and an “Ocean’s 11” prequel.