The Battle of R-Rated Romantic Comedies: Anyone But You vs. No Hard Feelings

The Rise of R-Rated Romantic Comedies in 2023

The winner of the box office battle between Anyone But You and No Hard Feelings to be 2023's biggest R-rated romantic comedy has a significant implication. R-rated romantic comedies have become an increasingly rare sight to see in theaters, as studios have primarily spent the last several years shifting these types of movies to streaming. 2023 was an outlier in that practice, as R-rated movies Anyone But You and No Hard Feelings represented raunchy romantic comedies released exclusively in theaters featuring recognizable stars like Jennifer Lawrence, Sydney Sweeney, and Glen Powell.

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell hold each other romantically on a dock in Anyone But You.

Sony's decision to release Anyone But You and No Hard Feelings both in theaters meant that the studio was betting on audiences enjoying them enough to make the movies profitable ventures. Despite sharing the same genre, No Hard Feelings' box office expectations were significantly higher than Anyone But You's. This was due to Jennifer Lawrence's R-rated comedy having a much larger budget, partially the result of her massive salary. Ultimately, only one of the movies could become 2023's highest grossing R-rated romantic comedy at the box office, and the result is quite surprising.

Jennifer Lawrence in a restaurant in No Hard Feelings

No Hard Feelings was 2023's biggest romantic comedy at the box office for much of the year. Jennifer Lawrence's movie made $87.2 million worldwide, with $50.4 million coming domestically and the remaining $36.8 million coming internationally. However, Anyone But You's box office has managed to surpass No Hard Feelings domestically (via Box Office Mojo). The film has made $56.7 million and counting domestically thanks to strong word of mouth. The current worldwide box office total sits at $79.5 million, leaving it with less than $8 million needed to surpass No Hard Feelings overall. Anyone But You is on track to pass No Hard Feelings at the worldwide box office shortly, which will make it the biggest R-rated rom-com of 2023.

Sydney Sweeney as Bea Looking Shocked in Anyone But You

The Surprising Outcome and Implications

The result of Anyone But You being a bigger box office hit than No Hard Feelings was not expected. The latter was viewed as a safer bet thanks to Jennifer Lawrence's box office pedigree from the Hunger Games franchise. Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell have never headlined major box office hits before. Anyone But You had a stronger chance of becoming a profitable film, though, as it had a budget of only $25 million. That is nearly as much as Jennifer Lawrence's No Hard Feelings salary, which contributed to the film's $70 million cost.

Anyone But You Glen Powell's Ben and Sydney Sweeney's Bea about to kiss

The fact that Anyone But You beat No Hard Feelings to be 2023's biggest R-rated rom-com indicates that a power shift has happened in Hollywood that positions Sydney Sweeney as a bigger draw for audiences than Jennifer Lawrence. Most projections called for No Hard Feelings to be the bigger hit, especially as Anyone But You's marketing brought confusion about the movie's plot. The former even earned much stronger reviews, so the combination of that and Lawrence's star power should have given it an easy path to beating Sony's riskier romantic comedy.

Maddie in finger trap with Percy in No Hard Feelings

The big takeaway here is that Syndey Sweeney has replaced Jennifer Lawrence in terms of the target audience for R-rated rom-coms. While Lawrence was arguably Hollywood's biggest rising female star in the 2010s, her stardom did not translate to No Hard Feelings being as big as expected. Sydney Sweeney, on the other hand, now has a certified hit on her hands and has further solidified herself as someone audiences want to see more of on the big screen. That could be a good sign that her upcoming movies after Anyone But You could also be bigger hits than predicted.

Bea looking lovingly at Ben in Anyone But You

The Future of R-Rated Romantic Comedies

The battle between Anyone But You and No Hard Feelings has shed light on the changing landscape of R-rated romantic comedies and the shifting dynamics of star power in Hollywood. Sydney Sweeney's unexpected rise as a leading draw for audiences in this genre has opened up new possibilities for the future of R-rated rom-coms. It indicates that audiences are looking for fresh faces and new narratives in this genre, and Sweeney's success with Anyone But You has set a new standard for what audiences want to see in R-rated romantic comedies.

The success of Anyone But You also underscores the fact that budget and star power do not always guarantee box office success. With a relatively modest budget, the film has managed to outperform No Hard Feelings, which had a higher production cost and the star power of Jennifer Lawrence. This challenges the traditional notion of what makes a successful R-rated romantic comedy and emphasizes the importance of audience appeal and engagement.

In conclusion, the battle between Anyone But You and No Hard Feelings has not only redefined the landscape of R-rated romantic comedies but has also signaled a shift in the Hollywood star power hierarchy. As Sydney Sweeney emerges as a significant draw for audiences in this genre, the future of R-rated rom-coms looks brighter than ever, with new opportunities for diverse storytelling and the rise of fresh talent in the industry.