It’s 2025, and somehow, the rom-com is back. Not as a nostalgic throwback, not as a guilty pleasure, but as a legitimate, profitable, and surprisingly smart genre that studios are betting big on. After years of being written off as outdated, overdone, or irrelevant, romantic comedies are pulling in real money, drawing real audiences, and even earning critical respect. This isn’t just a fluke. It’s a full-blown revival - and it’s happening for reasons you might not expect.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
In 2020 and 2021, romantic comedies were nearly dead at the box office. The pandemic killed theaters, and streaming platforms stopped investing in them. Revenue dropped below $50 million in North America - a fraction of the $250 million they brought in during their late ’90s heyday. Fast forward to 2024, and the genre pulled in over $86 million at the domestic box office. That’s not a miracle. That’s a comeback.
The standout? Anyone But You, released in late 2023. With a $27 million budget, it made $63.5 million in the U.S. and Canada alone. That’s the highest-grossing pure rom-com of 2024. And it wasn’t an accident. Sony Pictures didn’t just roll the dice - they ran data tests, hired diversity consultants, and tested audience reactions before even shooting the final cut.
Other films followed suit. Fly Me to the Moon made $20.5 million on a $35 million budget. Materialists, set to release in June 2025, already has a marketing campaign built around a TikTok series that gained 2.3 million followers before the movie even hit theaters. This isn’t old-school marketing. This is precision targeting.
Who’s Watching?
Let’s talk about the audience - because they’ve changed. The classic rom-com viewer? That was a 25-year-old woman who watched Notting Hill with her best friend and cried over Hugh Grant. Today’s audience is still mostly women, but now it’s 78% of viewers aged 18-34. And they’re not just watching in theaters. They’re streaming, rewatching, and arguing about it on Reddit.
On r/RomanceMovies, 68% of users gave positive feedback to 2024’s releases. One top comment called Anora - a film about a Brooklyn stripper who dates a Russian oligarch - “a fairy tale with real teeth.” It’s not a perfect love story. It’s messy, complicated, and grounded. And that’s exactly what people want now.
But here’s the catch: men over 35? Only 12% of the audience. Gen Z? Hard to reach. Traditional trailers get just 11% engagement on TikTok. But genre-blended rom-coms - like The Smashing Machine, which mixes romance with MMA drama - pull 37%. The formula isn’t dead. It just needs a twist.
What’s Different Now?
Pre-pandemic rom-coms followed a script: meet-cute, misunderstanding, grand gesture, happy ending. Rinse and repeat. Today’s best films break that mold - but not by abandoning it. They use it as a foundation and build something new on top.
Together, directed by Michael Shanks and released in January 2025, doesn’t end with a kiss. It ends with two people choosing to stay together - not because they’re perfect, but because they’re real. The Metascore? 75. Critics called it “a quiet revolution in a genre that forgot how to breathe.”
Studio executives now spend 18 months developing a rom-com instead of 12. Why? Because they test everything. AI analyzes social media sentiment on plot ideas. Diversity consultants review scripts. Test screenings include streaming data from comparable titles. And if a movie doesn’t perform well on-demand, they reshoot scenes - like Sony did with Anyone But You, adding seven extra moments just for streaming viewers to boost completion rates by 22%.
International co-productions are also reshaping the genre. Spanish-language romances generated $5.1 billion in global streaming revenue over the last four years. Bollywood’s Jatt & Juliet 3 made $1.8 million in North America alone - and dominated markets in India and the UK. The rom-com isn’t American anymore. It’s global.
Streaming vs. Theaters: The New Balance
Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are now the biggest players in rom-coms. In 2024, Netflix’s romance titles generated 4.7 billion hours of viewing. That’s more than 20 times the number of tickets sold for all theatrical rom-coms combined.
But here’s the twist: studios aren’t giving up on theaters. They’re using both. Sixty-seven percent of new rom-coms now drop on premium video-on-demand (PVOD) just 17 days after theaters - down from the old 90-day window. That’s a strategic shift. Theaters are now testing grounds. Streaming is where the real money and loyalty are built.
And it’s working. Subscribers who watch at least 15% romance content on their streaming platforms are 31% more likely to stick with the service. That’s not just about love stories. It’s about emotional connection - and studios know it.
The Risks Are Real
Don’t get it twisted. This comeback isn’t guaranteed. There are warning signs.
More rom-coms were greenlit in Q1 2025 than in all of 2021. The Numbers predicts 47 theatrical rom-coms will hit screens in 2025 - up from 31 in 2023. But only 19 are expected to make over $20 million. The rest? They’ll vanish.
And audience fatigue is already showing. Second-quarter 2025 releases saw a 22% drop in opening weekends compared to the first quarter. Critics are calling it “over-saturation.” One review on Letterboxd for Love Hurts called it “2003 all over again - but with better lighting.”
Plus, regulatory pressure is rising. France now requires 30% cast diversity for tax incentives on romance films. Other countries are following. Studios can’t just cast the same white leads and call it a day anymore.
And then there’s the biggest threat: if every new rom-com feels like a remix of When Harry Met Sally, people will tune out again. The genre’s survival depends on authenticity - not just diversity in casting, but in storytelling.
What’s Next?
The 2025 slate is packed with experiments. The Wedding Banquet, directed by Ang Lee, is a remake of the 1993 classic - but this time, it’s a cross-cultural story about a Chinese-American man bringing his boyfriend home to his traditional parents. It’s not just a love story. It’s a family story.
Oh, Hi!, dropping in July 2025, stars real Gen Z TikTok influencers playing fictionalized versions of themselves. It’s meta. It’s self-aware. It’s the kind of thing that only works now.
And then there’s the quiet winners - the indie films that don’t get big trailers but find their audience through word of mouth. Anora didn’t need a $50 million marketing budget. It had a 91 Metascore and a story that felt true.
The rom-com isn’t returning to its old self. It’s evolving into something more honest, more diverse, and more complex. It’s no longer just about who ends up together. It’s about why they stay together - even when it’s hard.
What Makes a Rom-Com Work Today?
If you’re wondering what separates the hits from the flops in 2025, here’s the short list:
- Authenticity over fantasy - No magical meet-cutes on rooftops. Real people with real baggage.
- Diversity that matters - Not just skin color, but cultural, economic, and sexual identity.
- Streaming-first thinking - If the story doesn’t hold attention on a phone screen, it won’t work.
- Genre-blending - Romance + comedy + horror? Romance + sports? Romance + sci-fi? The best ones don’t stay in one lane.
- No perfect endings - Happy doesn’t mean “together forever.” Sometimes, happy means “together for now.”
That’s it. No grand speeches. No orchestral swells. Just two people, trying to figure it out - and you rooting for them anyway.
Why are romantic comedies popular again in 2024-2025?
Romantic comedies are making a comeback because audiences are craving emotional connection after years of isolation and uncertainty. Studios responded by making smarter, more authentic films - with diverse casts, realistic relationships, and hybrid release strategies that match how people watch today. Films like Anora and Anyone But You proved there’s still a big market for well-made rom-coms, especially among women aged 18-34.
Are romantic comedies still profitable?
Yes - but only if they’re made right. The average rom-com now costs $20-40 million to produce. Successful ones like Anyone But You earned over $60 million domestically and made a solid profit. Streaming adds long-term revenue: Netflix’s 2024 romance titles generated 4.7 billion hours viewed. The genre’s ROI of 12.3% beats musicals and is close to superhero films - making it a safer bet than most mid-budget genres.
Why do critics say modern rom-coms are better?
Modern rom-coms ditch the clichés - no more airport chases or last-minute speeches. Instead, they focus on real relationship struggles: communication, class differences, mental health, cultural expectations. Films like Together and Anora earned high Metascores because they feel lived-in, not scripted. Audiences can tell the difference.
Is the rom-com genre dying on streaming?
No - streaming is actually the main driver of the genre’s revival. While theatrical releases are shrinking, streaming platforms are releasing more rom-coms than ever. Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ are investing heavily because romance content boosts subscriber retention by 31%. The problem isn’t streaming - it’s that too many streaming rom-coms are still formulaic.
What’s the biggest threat to the rom-com comeback?
Over-saturation. More rom-coms were greenlit in early 2025 than in all of 2021. If studios keep churning out the same tired plots, audiences will tune out again. The genre’s survival depends on innovation - not quantity. The next wave of hits will be the ones that surprise us, not the ones we’ve seen 100 times before.
Which rom-coms should I watch in 2025?
Start with Anora (2024) - it’s the most critically acclaimed rom-com in years. Then watch Materialists (June 2025) for its smart marketing and fresh take on wealth and love. Don’t miss The Wedding Banquet (April 2025) for its cultural depth, and Oh, Hi! (July 2025) if you want something totally new - starring real TikTok stars playing themselves. And if you’re feeling nostalgic, rewatch Anyone But You. It’s the blueprint for the new era.