Elizabeth Banks believes poor marketing led to Charlie's Angels failure

Elizabeth Banks believes that inaccurate marketing led to the box office failure of her Charlie's Angels reboot.

The Charlie's Angels television series was one of the most popular shows of the late 70s/early 80s and it received a reboot in 2000 with Charlie's Angels and Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore.

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Amazon Prime right now?

Tuesday 10 February 2026, 14:38

What are the top 10 most popular shows on Netflix right now?

Monday 9 February 2026, 15:27

Nearly two decades later, Banks helmed a new movie, with Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska playing the Angels.

On a budget of $55 million, it grossed around $73m.

READ MORE: Joaquin Phoenix SLAPPED Vanessa Kirby during Napoleon filming

The 2019 Charlie's Angels movie was marketed mostly to girls and young women, which led to some trolls boycotting it for promoting a "feminist agenda".

Banks reckons the marketing should have targeted males, too.

"It was presented as just for girls," she told the New York Times.

“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.

“To lose control of the narrative like that was a real bummer,” Banks added. “You realize how the media can frame something regardless of how you’ve framed it. I happen to be a woman who directed a Charlie’s Angels movie that happened to star three incredible women. You can’t control the media saying, ‘You’re a lady director, and that’s special!’ — which it is, but it’s not the only thing.”