The theatrical rom-com is not always considered the most financially fruitful genre, but some films are changing the narrative. 2023 saw a huge success with the Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney-led Anyone But You, grossing $220 million on an estimated $25 million budget.
Materialists is one of 2025’s biggest hit romance movies so far. It is the second feature from Celine Song, whose debut feature Past Lives became a breakout hit in 2023. Its plot focuses on a professional matchmaker who finds herself in her own love triangle.
Financially, Materialists has been a success so far. It has made $40 million globally, which is good for both the genre and for a second-time director whose first movie only brought in $42 million over its total run.
Where it falters is its lack of accordance with the rom-com genre. While its trailers suggested it would be a great genre revival, the film leaned far more heavily on drama. It is still a high-quality movie, but it left something to be desired in the theatrical rom-com realm. Luckily, there is an upcoming movie that can soon fill this rom-com void.
Amazon MGM Studios Is Turning You Deserve Each Other Into A Movie
And It’s Got The Perfect Leads
Amazon MGM Studios recently announced its adaptation of You Deserve Each Other. This story originated as a 2020 novel by Sarah Hogle. The romantic comedy centers around a pair of fiancés who have fallen out of love.
The You Deserve Each Other movie features Meghann Fahy and Penn Badgley in the lead roles. Both actors are popular right now, with Fahy recently starring in The Perfect Couple and Sirens, and Badgley being the main star of the recently concluded television show, You.
You Deserve Each Other Has All The Makings Of A Successful Rom-Com
The Creative Team Is Strong
Unlike Materialists, You Deserve Each Other is more of a true comedy. Unless the team strays from the book significantly, the film will tonally fit into the rom-com genre rather than some romance movies that lean far more towards the dramatic end.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be directed by Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn. These creatives have been behind other rom-com genre films, including Never Been Kissed and He’s Just Not That Into You. Badgley and Fahy also have experience in the romance genre.
Between the creative team and strong commitment to genre, You Deserve Each Other has fantastic potential to succeed. Romance book adaptations, such as It Ends With Us, have been doing very well as of late, and this film could be the next.
Amazon MGM Better Give You Deserve Each Other A Theatrical Release
Anyone But You Got The Ball Rolling, This Can Continue It
It has not been revealed whether You Deserve Each Other will go straight to Prime Video. To truly show its potential, this film has to go to theaters. Anyone But You has shown the genre can succeed theatrically, and the Fahy-led movie could continue this trend.
You Deserve Each Other‘s theatrical release could prove critical to the survival of romantic comedies. There are plenty that go straight to streaming, but the genre really needs another box office boost to prove itself worthy of theaters.
