It says a lot when it takes someone with Jennifer Lawrence’s star power to get financing and distribution for a true R-rated comedy, as she did earlier this year with “No Hard Feelings.” And even still, that film only earned $50 million domestically. There was a point in time when films like that were released almost weekly and could make $100 million or more. And according to comedy veteran Adam DeVine, the biggest reason for the film industry (and the general public) shying away from traditional comedy films nowadays is because Marvel killed the genre. Well, kind of.
Speaking on Theo Von’s podcast recently, Adam Devine was asked about the current state of comedy films. He believes that one of the problems that is plaguing the genre on the big screen is the type of comedies that are being made.
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“You watch comedies nowadays, and you’re like, ‘This isn’t a fucking comedy. Where are the jokes? Where are the bits?’” he said.
But the main culprit for why comedies aren’t getting theatrical releases anymore, and why Hollywood studios are less interested in making true comedy films nowadays comes down to Marvel Studios training audiences to expect something different when they go to the multiplex.
“My theory? I think Marvel ruined it,” DeVine explained. “Superhero movies kind of ruined comedies because you go to the theater and you expect to watch something that cost $200 million to make. And comedy movies aren’t that. So, you’re like, ‘Why would I spend the same amount of money to watch a little comedy in the theater if I can spend the same amount of money that is worth $200 million?’ And they still make those movies kind of funny. I mean, they’re not comedies, but it’s like, ‘Oh my god, is that racoon talking? This is hilarious!’”
To be fair, Devine isn’t wrong, in the general sense. But it’s not just comedies. You can throw in those mid-budget, R-rated dramas we used to see all of the time too. Or the adult thriller that would go on to make $100 million. Those films just aren’t being made today because studios are obsessed with blockbusters and franchises. That’s just the way of the world because those are the films that are making the most money. Of course, you could say that it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy because if you only make those films, those are the only ones that will make money.
The real question is whether or not this will ever change? It really doesn’t appear that Hollywood has any intention of doing theatrical comedies all that much anymore. Many of them go straight to streaming. That said, there are a healthy number of comedies still on TV. So, at least there’s that.