Kate Hudson thinks she knows why rom-coms have been struggling in recent years. Hudson has a long history working on rom-coms, having starred in Almost Famous, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and Bride Wars. Throughout her career, Hudson was nominated for an Academy Award and even won a Golden Globe. In recent years, however, she shifted to a more action-focused career, having featured in action movies including Good People and Deepwater Horizon.
After being a member of the Glass Onion cast, Hudson’s time starring in rom-coms appears to be winding down. During an appearance on The View to celebrate the 20th anniversary of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Hudson explained the challenges of making modern rom-coms and the reason that they have been difficult to develop. Finding male stars has been a major hurdle. Check out her full explanation below:
“It’s hard to get male movie stars to make rom-coms. That’s a big part of the equation … is to have that event. If we can get more Marvel guys like … hey, come to do a rom-com! That’s part of the formula, too. That event… I think it’s about the writing, and how we’re investing in telling the story of the writing and the directors. If you look at the classic rom-coms or movies that last forever — because they do, they’re the ones that last forever; people go back and back — they had the best writers. Nora Ephron! It’s more about how the studios are investing in the talent.”
The Decline Of Classic Rom-Coms
In the modern age of movies, developing blockbusters have become a central tenent of filmmaking. Studios have been chasing the box office success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which often brings in over $1 billion for each movie. Such a high take is too attractive for producers to ignore. Big-budget productions have dominated Hollywood for years, leaving little room for rom-coms. The once-powerful rom-com has largely been relegated to streaming platforms.
10 Highest-Grossing Rom-Coms Of All Time, Ranked
The top ten highest-grossing romantic comedies list features a variety of films, including movies from the ‘90s and flicks from recent years.
While streaming allowed a renaissance for rom-coms, they still lack the box office draw that they once freely boasted. Beautiful Wedding, A Family Affair, and Irish Wish are all rom-coms set to premiere in 2024, but few attract attention the way that Deadpool 3 does. Hudson is right to reflect on the idea that many Hollywood stars would rather appear in the MCU than in a simple rom-com.
That is not to say that MCU stars refuse to appear in rom-coms, however. Chris Evans, who played Captain America in the MCU, recently starred in Ghosted and appeared in Before We Go even while working through his superhero obligations. Actors have proven willing to do both, which indicates that Kate Hudson is also correct that the shift away from rom-coms is a consequence of losing the “best” writers. With the best working on blockbusters, there are not many left to develop instant classic rom-coms, as they would in the past.
