20 Movies Way More Successful Than Anyone Expected
3. Anyone But You
Though the rom-com was once upon a time a reliable box office cornerstone, over the past decade it's suffered considerably, in large part because of the streaming boom.
Given that rom-coms are historically relatively cheap to make and less reliant on visual spectacle than most other genres, studios began increasingly selling them off to streamers for an easy buck, and this was massively accelerated by the impact of the pandemic.
Since 2020 there have been desperately few theatrically released rom-coms, and even less which have actually proven commercially successful.
And so, few were expecting much from Anyone But You - the Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney-starring romp which many dismissed as a "glorified streaming movie," and which many doubted offered enough to lure audiences out of the house.
Yet despite releasing within earshot of blockbusters like Wonka and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Anyone But You grossed a stonking $220.3 million against a tight $25 million budget.
The film's success proved that there was still an appetite for theatrical rom-coms if they starred buzzy actors, middling critical reviews be-damned.