Will Ferrell‘s 2015 collaboration with the director of Anchorman and Step Brothers has become a hit on Netflix a decade after it premiered. After getting his start on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell quickly became an icon on the big screen in films like Elf and the aforementioned Anchorman. Known for his bombastic and childish characters, Ferrell excels at a style of comedy that is so immature that it comes back around to being clever and hilarious. Some of his films are legitimate comedy classics, and Ferrell continues to be one of the genre’s biggest stars.
Ten years after it debuted, Ferrell’s 2015 comedy Get Hard has become a bona fide streaming hit on Netflix, bursting into the top 10. As of June 12, the Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart vehicle peaked at the second place spot before being bumped down to third (via Flix Patrol). Interestingly, Get Hard is a collaboration between Ferrell and director/writer Adam McKay, who served as producer and also has a story credit. The duo created some of their greatest work together, but the partnership was dissolved over creative disagreements around the HBO series, Winning Time.
What Netflix Streaming Success Means For Get Hard
Will Ferrell & Kevin Hart Are A Recipe For Streaming Success
Will Ferrell’s best movies are some of the greatest comedies of the 2000s, but his 2010s output was more inconsistent. While Get Hard was critically panned, it was a financial hit, and proved that both Ferrell and co-star Kevin Hart were a golden combo. The movie’s success on streaming is an extension of the two actors’ starpower, and there is a certain re-watch factor that goes into crafting a comedy with Hart or Ferrell. Even if it isn’t the best of either comic’s career, Get Hard is the right kind of movie to find success on streaming.
Get Hard grossed $111 million (via Box Office Mojo).
Our Take On Get Hard’s Netflix Popularity
Viewers Are Clamoring For Straightforward Comedies
Get Hard is so popular because it hearkens back to an earlier era.
The success of Get Hard on Netflix is somewhat surprising since the movie isn’t particularly good, and certainly doesn’t represent the best of Will Ferrell or Kevin Hart. However, I think its success is an indication of a much larger problem in Hollywood, that being the lack of straightforward comedies. Ferrell and Hart are two of the biggest comedy stars in the world, but they haven’t been given strong roles in years. Comedy is in a state of flux, and mainstream comedies have fallen to the wayside. Get Hard is so popular because it hearkens back to an earlier era.
If made the right way, a comedy can be extremely profitable because it has a low budget and a high box office gross. Get Hard was on the expensive side, with a reported budget of $40 million, but still turned a pretty healthy profit. Flops have scared studios away from comedies in general, but Get Hard‘s success on Netflix proves that there is still a big audience for the genre. When adding in a star like Will Ferrell, a comedy is almost certain to be a hit.
Source: Flix Patrol
