Romantic comedy used to be a thing of the past, but Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney managed to bring it back to the mainstream with Anyone But You. In this world where cinema has been saturated with superhero films and blockbuster franchises, a rom-com movie is perhaps people’s last option.
That surprisingly changed when Powell and Sydney’s chemistry, along with their strategic marketing, managed to attract viewers. Now, the genre has been revived, and fans are expecting to see more rom-coms in theaters from now on.
Glen Powell On The Revitalization Of Romantic Comedies
In his interview with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Glen Powell revealed he and Sydney Sweeney took the risk when they decided to release Anyone But You in theaters.
We had offers from every streamer, and it was guaranteed [paydays] and a much bigger budget, but Syd and I really have a very similar worldview about Hollywood. We said, ‘If we make this on a streamer, it won’t have any cultural impact.’
At the time, romantic comedies weren’t people’s choice when they visit movie theaters and so it was indeed a huge risk. But, they knew what exactly fans needed: a lighthearted and uncomplicated story.
And everyone was saying rom-coms were dead theatrically so we knew we could get hosed, but we thought, ‘Let’s take the gamble,’ because what if we could bring them back?
Anyone But You grossed over $219 million against a budget of $25 million, as per Box Office Mojo. It also received an impressive 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is loosely based on Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare.
Powell said that he and his costar talked about how they could get people to go to theaters. “How do you create an event and also justify that experience?” he said. The pair made some noise off-screen, and that’s exactly how they got people to buy tickets.
Kevin Costner Proved His Love For Western Movies
Before Glen Powell revived the era of romantic comedy, there was Kevin Costner who pioneered the renaissance of Western films. Fans know him from Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone, but he’s always been a fan of the old classic genre. He stated via Role Recall interview with Yahoo Entertainment:
My dad really loved John Wayne. And he said to me, ‘You can do that,’ and of course I can’t be John Wayne. But I have personally taken an interest in the American Western.
The actor promised he “will do more of those” and he kept his word. Now, he’s working on the four-part epic film series, Horizon: An American Saga, a project that he directed, wrote, and starred in.
He admitted struggling financially to fund the movies and even reached a point where he had to sell some of his homes. But, he ardently wants the movies to get made, so whatever it takes, he was willing to go the extra mile.
Anyone But You is now streaming on Netflix.
