In a conversation on ‘The View,’ Kate Hudson of ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ offered her views on the future of the rom-com genre. Marking two decades since the film’s release, Hudson drew comparisons between the past and present state of romantic comedies and revealed her solution — bringing Marvel heroes in them.
Reflecting on the $105 million domestic and $177 million worldwide earnings of her film, Hudson contrasted these figures with the more modest performance of recent rom-coms like ‘Anyone But You,’ starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, which garnered $38 million worldwide.
She then identified what she believes is a key challenge in the industry:
“It’s hard to get male movie stars to make rom-coms. That’s a big part of the equation … is to have that event. If we can get more Marvel guys like … hey, come to do a rom-com! That’s part of the formula, too. That event.”
This idea finds support in the interest expressed by ‘Aquaman’s Jason Momoa, who has publicly voiced his desire to lead a romantic comedy despite not yet being cast in such a role.
Hudson also brought forward the role of writing quality and storytelling in the success of romantic comedies. She touched upon the lasting impact of films written by acclaimed writers such as Nora Ephron and pointed to a need for studios to focus on such talent.
You can watch the rest of the interview below.
What’s the Current Status of Rom-Coms?
The industry’s shift from romantic comedies to genres like action and horror is clearly seen in recent box office trends. For instance, ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home‘ raked in $609.89 million in just three weeks in 2021. This indicates a clear audience preference for non-romantic genres.
Changing perceptions of love and relationships in society, particularly among Generation Z, also has a role. The emergence of online dating and social media has changed the traditional way of romantic pursuits, which makes classic rom-com storylines less relatable to contemporary audiences.
Rom-com legend Julia Roberts, who returned to the genre in 2022 with ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ her first lead role since 2001’s ‘America’s Sweethearts,’ also echoed Hudson’s sentiments. Roberts attributed her hiatus from the genre to a lack of compelling scripts, saying:
“People sometimes misconstrue the amount of time that’s gone by that I haven’t done a romantic comedy as my not wanting to do one. If I had read something that I thought was that ‘Notting Hill’ level of writing or ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ level of madcap fun, I would do it. They didn’t exist until this movie that I just did that Ol Parker wrote and directed.”
If you take a look at the IMDb ratings, the struggle of the rom-com genre is evident. Many of 2023’s releases hover around average scores, which reflects a general disinterest among viewers.
