Not rom-com friendly

Sarah Taryam, Arts Editor

I honestly thought this day would never come, but it seems like the Hollywood rom-com is on its way out. Well, probably not out but definitely down as all the recent statistics are showing. This week we are taking a look at the demise of the romantic comedy.

Director Nancy Meyers has a good track record when it comes to her romantic comedy movies, but not with the latest one. She having trouble finding a studio to commit to the movie after it was rejected and dropped by Netflix. The film, “Paris Paramount,” is expected to star Scarlett Johansson but Meyers’ huge budget request is causing problems with no studio willing to pay up.

Gone are the days when a studio would spend huge amounts on a rom-com. Meyers might need to get with the times and realise that things have not been great for romantic comedies for a while now. Her last movie was “The Intern” in 2015 starring Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. Of the 100 top-grossing rom-coms at the American box office, only five were released during the last decade. Those statistics are actually shocking.

Last year’s “Ticket to Paradise” starring the king and queen of rom-coms, Julia Roberts and George Clooney, earned $168 million worldwide. This might sound like a lot but it pales in comparison to other movies the power duo has starred in. I wonder if there is a way for this genre to recover.

In other news this week, turn to our Health pages to read about the benefits of taking a hot shower or bath. I feel there is always confusion as to what temperature to shower in. If you’ve been stressing about hot water then don’t, it has a lot of amazing benefits.