Why Hollywood Keeps Sending Rom-Coms Like ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ Straight to Streaming

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In “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,” our anxious and love-struck protagonist isn’t just substituting cigarettes with Nicorette. Instead, she’s exchanged the large movie screens for Peacock, a streaming platform of lesser prominence, where the fourth installment of the franchise is scheduled to premiere on February 13th.

According to author Helen Fielding, creator of Bridget Jones, “[People] will enjoy watching this at home.” For Bridget’s generation, that might involve a bottle of wine and a tub of ice cream. For Gen Z, perhaps it’ll be with plenty of supplements, remedies, and cozy slippers. Regardless, it’s an excellent film for a comfortable couch viewing experience.

Moving “Mad About the Boy” to streaming platforms underscores the decline of romantic comedies over the past 24 years since Bridget Jones first enchanted viewers. In 2001, with the release of “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” the rom-com genre was at its peak, featuring stars like Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, and Renée Zellweger herself, regularly gracing movie posters with their charming romantic encounters. However, over the past decade or so, film studios have largely abandoned the rom-com genre on the big screen. Nowadays, when we see Renee Zellweger or Reese Witherspoon (who recently released “You’re Cordially Invited” on Amazon Prime Video) finding love onscreen, it’s typically a streaming service that finances their romantic escapades.

According to Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst at Comscore, the charm of romantic comedies (rom-coms) has faded. At one point, they seemed unbeatable, but many recent ones have been disappointing. The rise of streaming services also played a role in this change. Now, in order to attract audiences to cinemas, films need to offer something spectacular.

As a movie enthusiast, I wholeheartedly agree with Dergarabedian’s assessment of what he terms “spectacular” films – think Marvel universe blockbusters or epic films by Christopher Nolan that truly shine on large screens like Imax. However, I can’t help but echo his sentiments about the genre becoming overly predictable. Movies such as 2017’s “Home Again,” 2018’s “I Feel Pretty,” and 2019’s “Isn’t It Romantic” seem to fall short compared to the high-quality romantic comedies of yesteryears. Even 2016’s “Bridget Jones’s Baby” didn’t fare well in the U.S., earning a modest $24.2 million, while its predecessors managed much higher domestic earnings – the original earned $71 million and the 2004 sequel generated $40 million.

After experiencing a rather frosty response from critics and audiences alike, it seems that NBCUniversal has decided to reevaluate their approach for Bridget Jones’ fourth big-screen journey. Instead of going directly to streaming platforms globally, “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy” will hit the silver screen at international box offices where this series has consistently proved its commercial worth. To put it simply, the third installment raked in a staggering $198 million outside the United States. For all three Bridget films, foreign revenues have accounted for 79% to 89% of total ticket sales. In other words, this franchise has been a box office sensation overseas!

The production cost of “Mad About the Boy” was a whopping $50 million. To cover global marketing costs, estimated to be between $40 million and $50 million, the film needed to earn at least $40 million domestically. Given these figures, NBCUniversal decided to release the movie on Peacock in the U.S., while it will hit theaters internationally.

As a film enthusiast myself, I’d say: “It’s not the kind of story where you find yourself exclaiming, ‘How could they keep it hidden? I’m furious!'” Michael Morris, the director, shared. “I genuinely wish for its worldwide release, but I was aware from the start that this film would be a Peacock exclusive in the U.S.

Streaming economics are playing a significant role in keeping romantic comedies thriving, as they provide an opportunity for a fresh audience to discover these films. With the substantial marketing costs avoided when releasing movies on the big screen, platforms like Amazon Prime Video took the chance with Anne Hathaway’s “The Idea of You” and Netflix produced Amy Schumer’s “Kinda Pregnant.” The reasoning behind this is that the allure of star power, humor, and heart will make these productions stand out amidst the abundance of new releases.

Alex Saks, a producer for “Kinda Pregnant,” “Book Club,” and “It Ends With Us,” notes that the bar for what qualifies for streaming content is lower compared to theater releases. Moreover, productions don’t necessarily need to be lavishly expensive. According to him, the advantage of streaming platforms lies in the fact that as more movies are produced for them, there are more opportunities to create quality films.

Despite the decline in popularity, rom-com enthusiasts remain optimistic about a return to the big screen. A handful of recent releases have defied the trend and thrived in cinemas, such as “Crazy Rich Asians” from 2018, which resonated deeply with Asian American audiences, and “Anyone but You,” which starred rising talents Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney, capturing the attention of TikTok users. Movies like Jennifer Lawrence’s “No Hard Feelings,” Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum’s “The Lost City,” and Julia Roberts and George Clooney’s “Ticket to Paradise” capitalized on the star power of their leading actors, resulting in impressive box office earnings. However, not all films were successful, with Jennifer Lopez’s “Marry Me” and Billy Eichner’s “Bros.” receiving mixed reviews. This brief list covers almost all the theatrical rom-com releases from the past five years.

According to Scott Meslow, author of “From Hollywood With Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy,” it can turn into a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if these types of movies aren’t shown in theaters or sent to streaming platforms, there’s no way to know for sure if they won’t succeed.

Meslow suggests that people might rediscover their affection for the genre if it’s presented as captivating stage productions rather than temporary streaming content.

He remarks: “Five years from now, will ‘Hot Frosty’ be discussed like the original ‘Bridget Jones’? The reason being, people are captivated by such narratives if they are distinctively crafted and of high quality, not just because they appear at the top of Netflix recommendations.

Alex Ritman and Ellise Shafer contributed to this report.

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2025-02-12 20:49