No Hard Feelings Is Giving Theatrical Comedy Hope At The Box Office – And Hollywood Is Better For It

The summer movie season of 2023 has, thus far, had more high-profile misses than hits, with several big movies (most notably "The Flash") coming in well below expectations. But if there's been one fairly bright spot over the past couple of weekends, it's been Sony's R-rated comedy "No Hard Feelings." Despite the fact that it's not connected to a franchise and is in a genre that has largely been relegated to streaming in recent years, Jennifer Lawrence's latest film is holding its own at the box office.

In its second weekend, director Gene Stupnitsky's comedy took in $7.85 million, per The Numbers. That represents just a 48% drop from its opening weekend, which is a very solid hold in the post-lockdowns era. Particularly in the face of stiff competition, with "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" opening this past weekend, bringing in $60 million. Granted, that number was on the low-end of industry expectations, which may have helped every other movie's case. In any event, Sony now has hope that its latest can go the distance and actually become a theatrical hit.

As of this writing, "No Hard Feelings" has earned $29.6 million domestically and $20 million internationally for a grand total just a hair shy of $50 million. Reviews for the film weren't quite glowing, generally speaking (read our review here), so it seems to speak volumes about Lawrence's enduring star power. It also strongly suggests that audiences are willing to turn up for a straight comedy in theaters, under the right circumstances. That's a good thing.

To put it mildly, comedies have been having a tough go in theaters over the last several years. The only two unqualified exceptions were "The Lost City" ($192.9 million worldwide) and "Ticket to Paradise" ($168.5 million worldwide) in 2022. Both of those movies were very much in the rom-com genre, and both of them featured two-hander star power, with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum anchoring the former, while George Clooney and Julia Roberts starred in the latter. All due respect to Andrew Barth Feldman, who co-stars in "No Hard Feelings," but that name isn't putting a lot of meat in seats. This one rested squarely on Jennifer Lawrence's shoulders.

Meanwhile, the misses have missed big when it comes to comedy. Billy Eichner's "Bros" arguably ranks as one of the most tragic bombs of the last couple of years, with the acclaimed film taking in less than $15 million worldwide. Only horror-comedy hybrids have snuck through, with "Cocaine Bear" and "M3GAN" serving as a couple of examples. There's also "Jackass Forever," but given that we're talking about an unscripted film in that case, it occupies a slightly different space.

The only thing working against "No Hard Feelings" right now is its $45 million budget. Sony would probably need it to get closer to $100 million to be an unqualified success. That could be a stretch. Even so, the studio's lucrative deal with Netflix should help make the film profitable after its theatrical run is over with (not to mention PVOD and cable rights). More importantly, it sends a signal to Hollywood that there is absolutely an audience for these films. Don't abandon them, just make them sensibly and comedy can remain theatrically viable.