Has Anyone But You SAVED the Rom-Com?

Has Anyone But You SAVED the Rom-Com?

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at whether the smash hit “Anyone But You” spells a turnaround for romantic comedies in movie theaters.

The Golden Age of Rom-Coms

The 1990s and 2000s were the heyday of the romantic comedy. Those two decades saw the release of some of the most successful rom-coms of all time, many of which have since become classics. 2002’s “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” for instance, might be the highest grossing rom-com of all time. It brought in over $240 million at the domestic box office and over $368 million total worldwide. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $630 million in today’s money. And we can’t forget other mega-hits like “There's Something About Mary,” “Bridget Jones's Diary,” “What Women Want” – the list goes on and on. If a film’s leads had good chemistry – or at least star power – and the script was funny, it was practically guaranteed to be box office gold.

During this era, a few stars rose to the top of the genre. Julia Roberts dominated the 90’s with “My Best Friend's Wedding” and “Notting Hill,” and of course her two team-ups with Richard Gere, “Pretty Woman” and “Runaway Bride.” Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks also turned out to be a match made in rom-com heaven with “Sleepless in Seattle,” “You’ve Got Mail,” and the highly underrated “Joe Versus the Volcano.” In the 2000’s, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey became the rom-com couple of note with “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “Fool’s Gold.” Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore also found plenty of success by leaning in to the “com” part of the rom-com with “The Wedding Singer” and “50 First Dates.” They even reunited in 2014 for a film about two single parents who find love together, “Blended.”

The Impact of the Pandemic

Rom-coms had already begun to decline in popularity throughout the 2010s, but the COVID-19 pandemic hit the genre particularly hard. Most movie theaters closed completely in 2020 and much of 2021, and many films’ theatrical releases were delayed or even canceled as a result. During this time, studios pivoted hard to streaming services, pouring millions of dollars into original movies and shows. This resulted in a slew of straight-to-streaming rom-coms that were well-reviewed by critics but didn’t leave a lasting impact on the cinema landscape. “Palm Springs,” starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, was a hit at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2020, but was never able to have a wide theatrical release. Instead, it went straight to Hulu and played at a few drive-in theaters. Similarly, “Happiest Season,” starring Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis, was originally scheduled for a theatrical release over Thanksgiving 2020, but it was also sent straight to Hulu.

When theaters began to reopen in 2021, some genres recovered faster than others. Movies like “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” proved that big budget action and adventure can still sell tickets. However, rom-coms rarely feature the kind of elaborate set pieces that you have to see on a big screen to fully appreciate, and they’re almost never released in 3D, IMAX, or other special formats that would entice audiences into the theaters. On one hand, this makes them a perfect fit for streaming, and plenty of rom-coms found success that way even before 2020, like 2018’s “To All the Boys I've Loved Before” and 2019’s “Always Be My Maybe.” On the other hand, it means that rom-com fans are less likely to leave the house and shell out money for tickets and popcorn. Instead, they can stay home and enjoy their favorite movies on the streaming services they’re already paying for. The only post-pandemic romantic comedy that’s even come close to the box office successes of the 90s and 2000s is 2022’s “Ticket to Paradise.” Starring veteran Julia Roberts and 90s heartthrob George Clooney, it targeted an older audience who may have been nostalgic for the classic rom-coms of the past.

The Success of “Anyone But You”

This loose retelling of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” has seen bigger box office returns than any rom-com in recent memory. This is thanks partly to the chemistry between its two hot young leads and to an incredibly savvy marketing campaign by Sony. The advertisers went all in on pushing the movie to Gen Z, partnering with influencers and putting out tons of promotional videos on TikTok and Instagram. Star Sydney Sweeney used her platform of millions of followers to help keep the film trending. The movie also had a stroke of luck when its pop anthem, Natasha Bedingfield’s 2004 hit “Unwritten,” went viral, with many fans of the film posting videos of themselves dancing to it.

After a slightly mediocre opening weekend over Christmas 2023, “Anyone But You” slowly started to make waves at the cinema. It gained steam through word of mouth and social media, and by mid-January, it was number one at the domestic box office. In yet another smart marketing move, Sony released an extended cut on February 9, which propelled the film back up to the third spot on the domestic charts by Valentine’s Day. It managed to stay in the top ten until late February – impressive legs for any movie that’s not part of a big budget franchise. It’s also done surprisingly well overseas, where American rom-coms rarely bring in big returns outside of English-speaking markets. It’s the top-grossing rom-com in Italy since 2012, and in Mexico, it’s become the fifth biggest rom-com ever. So far, “Anyone But You” has grossed over $87 million domestically and over $119 million internationally for a worldwide total of over $207 million.

The Future of Rom-Coms

It’s too early to tell whether “Anyone But You” spells a true turnaround for rom-coms at the cinema. Aside from the occasional outlier, the genre may never reach the numbers it was doing in the 90s and 2000s. But we can learn a few lessons from this movie’s success. First, it proves that there is still a market for theatrical releases of romantic comedies. For the right movie, fans will get off the couch and into the theater. Second, marketing is everything. That might seem obvious, but marketing looks different today than it did when “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was number one at the box office. Sony’s social media campaign for “Anyone But You” was a major factor in its success. Future films hoping to capture the Gen Z market have to take that into account.

Because rom-coms are relatively cheap to produce, that makes them fairly low risk. That means studios will probably keep making them, even if they don’t bring in big returns. However, if moviegoers are hoping for a true rom-com renaissance, one thing is clear: they have to show up to see these movies in the theater. Fans turned “Anyone But You” into a surprise viral hit, and fans will be the ones to decide the future of the rom-com genre.

Did you see “Anyone But You”? Do you think it lived up to the hype? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.