10 Huge Movie Box Office Hits NOBODY Saw Coming
7. Anyone But You
In recent years, it appeared the theatrical rom-com was basically dead, with studios opting to send most of these projects direct to streaming, amid the feeling that audiences wouldn't leave the house for "un-cinematic" fare, no matter how charming the leads might be.
Basically, the prevailing wisdom was that romantic-themed movies would only succeed on the big screen if they had a major genre element, like 2022's action-adventure throwback The Lost City. But that was proven categorically wrong by last year's Anyone But You - a dead-ordinary rom-com with no genre gimmick whatsoever, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell.
Even with its sensible $25 million budget, expectations were low in the weeks leading up to its release, many feeling that the box office oxygen would be sucked up by a crowded slate of higher-profile releases - namely Wonka, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Migration, The Color Purple, and Ferrari.
However, Anyone But You has proven itself an indefatigable box office smash, just recently crossing the $200 million mark worldwide, grossing more than prominent 2023 films such as The Equalizer 3, Insidious: The Red Door, Scream VI, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
For a relatively by-the-numbers entry into the genre - and one touting an R rating no less - that's a phenomenal achievement, surely serving as a testament to the star power of Sydney Sweeney and irresistible charms of Glen Powell. As such, expect more straight-up rom-coms to get theatrical releases throughout 2024, all while Sweeney and Powell are already looking into working together again.