Against all odds, Sony’s R-rated romantic comedyAnyone But Youis continuing to deliver the sort of box office performance that would normally be associated with serious awards contenders. The movie had arelatively soft openingback in December, butdelivered exceptional holdsacross the next month, and has now passed a massive milestone at the global box office.
After 45 days of release,Anyone But Youhashit the $150 million mark worldwide. The film’s domestic box office total stands at $76 million, with another $3.5 million comingthis weekend, its seventh.Anyone But Youhas grossed $75 million from overseas markets,defying expectations for not only theatrical R-rated films, but alsothe romantic-comedy genre. The film’s top foreign markets are Australia ($13 million), the U.K. ($11 million) and Germany ($8 million).
Having establishedSydney SweeneyandGlen Powellas the two hottest stars of their generation, the effect of the film’s success can already be felt, with Netflix debuting the trailer for Powell’sHit Manrecently, and Sony centering Sweeney in its marketing for the upcomingMadame Web. Both stars had already been a part of hit projects beforeAnyone But You, but this takes them to the next level. The same can also be said about directorWill Gluck, who broke out over a decade ago withEasy A, and followed it up withFriends with Benefits. But just as the romantic comedy was falling out of favor in theaters, he pivoted to directing twoPeter Rabbitmovies, also for Sony.
‘Anyone But You’s Success Marks the Birth of Two Major Movie Stars
Anyone But Youwill now set its sights on overtaking the two biggest romantic-comedies of the post-pandemic era —Ticket to Paradise($172 million worldwide) andThe Lost City($192 million worldwide).Produced on a reported budget of $25 million, the movie will get an extended cut for the Valentine’s weekend this February, by which time it should be closer to passing the $100 million mark domestically.
Reviews haven’t really affected the film;Anyone But Yousits ata “rotten” 52% scoreon the aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, but its audience score is way more impressive at 87%.In her review, Collider’sMaggie Boccellapraised Powell’s charming performance, but criticized Sweeney for “seeming glassy-eyed in nearly every frame.” Also starringAlexandra Shipp,GaTa,Hadley Robinson,Michelle Hurd,Dermot Mulroney,Darren Barnet,Bryan Brown, andRachel Griffiths,Anyone But Youis playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
Anyone But You
After an amazing first date, Bea and Ben’s fiery attraction turns ice cold - until they find themselves unexpectedly reunited at a destination wedding in Australia. So they do what any two mature adults would do: pretend to be a couple.
