R-Rated Sydney Sweeney's Raunchy Flick Breaks Box Office Rom-Com Curse of 6 Years
The romantic comedy genre seems to be rising from the ashes.
Summary:
- • Anyone But You reignited interest in the adult romantic comedy genre and became a box office hit in late 2023 and early 2024.
- • Anyone But You became the first rom-com to reach the $200 million mark in six years, and the first R-rated rom-com to reach the same amount in eight years.
- • The film's growing popularity was especially helped by a Sony-created trend on TikTok, in which the characters dance to the song Unwritten.
It seemed that rom-coms had no place in theaters, only in streaming. We thought that all the great rom-coms had already been filmed – and all that was left for zoomers were scraps from the feast of the 80s, 90s, and early 00s.
But as it turns out, that's just not the case. People still care about romantic movies – especially when they are written with care, and not as if the script was generated by an AI.
The surprise box office success of Anyone But You in late 2023 and early 2024 proved that adult romantic comedies are still well and alive in Hollywood.
Anyone But You is the First Rom-Com to Reach $200M In 6 Years
Despite not too intriguing first trailer, mixed reviews, and a weak opening at the box office, videos of the cast dancing to the song Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield suddenly went viral on TikTok.
The film's box office has skyrocketed and now reached the impressive $200 million mark, making it the first film of the genre since 2018 to reach that amount. The previous champion was the PG-13 Crazy Rich Asians, which grossed $239 million.
Moreover, after Bridget Jones's Baby (2016), which made $211 million, this movie is the first R-rated romantic comedy to achieve $200 million in eight years. And considering that it had only a $25 million budget, that's more than outstanding.
Movie's Popularity Skyrocketed Thanks to TikTok
@sony 10/10 serenity song choice #Sony #SonyPictures #AnyoneButYou #SydenySweeney #GlenPowell #NatashaBeddingfield #Unwritten ♬ original sound - Sony
It is worth noting that the TikTok trend was launched by Sony itself – it was a clever marketing ploy on the company's part. But it wouldn't work if Anyone But You was a bad and unwatchable project.
Yes, there is nothing outstanding about the film made by Will Gluck. Anyone But You does not revolutionize the genre. But it is a well-made and hilarious movie, built on the chemistry between two charismatic actors.
It is not hard to guess that the two people who hate each other will eventually change and truly fall in love. But is the originality of the plot so important when some of the most beautiful people in Hollywood are making out on screen?
The premiere of Gluck's new project was eagerly awaited by many, both old-school fans of Easy A (also filmed by Gluck) and newly arrived viewers of Euphoria.
Even in the trailer, the film evoked the feeling of a classic melodrama in the spirit of Roger Michell's Notting Hill, but filmed in an American way.
The success of the movie is easy to explain – it is a film made for a wide audience, with the message that love is an emotion you have to be prepared for.
In this respect, Gluck's film may not say anything new, but it remains a worthy product of the genre that does not glorify toxic patterns of behavior and does not promote idealized ideas about adult relationships.