“Anyone But You” didn’t make a massive splash during its first weekend out in theaters, grossing $6 million domestically. But, like Bea and Ben’s relationship, the popularity of the film has proved to be something of a slow burn, as it has continued to bring in money each week since. By the end of January, the romantic comedy had surpassed the $100 million mark with its worldwide earnings, with a total gross of $151.7 million as of February 5. On a modest budget of $25 million, this makes the movie one of the most profitable of the year after marketing and exhibitors’ costs.
To put this into perspective, “Anyone But You” holds a passable 51% critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the 70% rating Sony’s last R-rated rom-com, “No Hard Feelings,” boasts. But it easily out-earned the Jennifer Lawrence flick. “No Hard Feelings” was also released last year, grossing just 87.2 million worldwide on a reported budget of $45 million. Although “No Hard Feelings” started out strong, bringing in double what “Anyone But You” did on its opening weekend domestically, the difference between the two films, in terms of profits, is longevity. The sustained and increasing popularity of “Anyone But You” weeks after its release has kept theaters full and allowed profits to climb.
