A year ago, romantic comedies were struggling, with some critics going so far as to pronounce them dead altogether. Recently, however, the genre is showing unmistakable signs of life. Call it the cautious return of the rom-com.
The revival began last December when “Anyone But You” — starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell — became a surprise box-office sensation, grossing more than $200 million. Despite its title, this summer’s critically acclaimed , was more rom-com than thriller. Next Valentine’s Day, Renée Zellweger will reprise her role as Bridget Jones in the fourth instalment of that franchise.
And the queen of genre Nancy Meyers (“Something’s Gotta Give,” “It’s Complicated”) is back at work on her magnum opus, “Paris Paramount,” after it was shelved at Netflix for being too expensive. Katie Silbeman is a burgeoning rom-com queen herself. The writer of the 2018 Netflix hit “Set It Up” (starring Zoey Deutch and the ), “Isn’t It Romantic” (2019) and “Don’t Worry Darling” (2022) told the Star that the genre’s pandemic-era streaming success created an opportunity for studios to take another chance on the genre.
“It became a cyclically beneficial thing for everybody: studios recognized the appetite for romantic comedies,” said Silberman, citing streaming hits like “Always Be My Maybe” and “To All The Boys I Loved Before.” Recent TV streaming hits like “Bridgerton” and “One Day” are also infused with a rom-co.
