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Back in 2008, comedy movies took in $2.03 billion at the domestic box office.\u00a0By\u00a02013, it was still viable enough to procure $1.64 billion in North America. However, in the 2020s, the domain of “Austin Powers” and “Grown Ups” has fallen on hard box office times. Excluding “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and “Kung Fu Panda 4,” comedies in 2024 only grossed $397 million domestically.<\/p>\n
The recent failure of Aziz Ansaris\u00a0“Good Fortune”<\/a> has only reinforced the pervasive problems plaguing this once-lucrative genre. On opening weekend, this $30 million budgeted production took in just $6.2 million despite premiering in 2,900+ theaters and having big names like Keanu Reeves<\/a> and Keke Palmer in its cast.\u00a0By comparison, “Balls of Fury” opened to $11.35 million in 2007 without adjusting for inflation.<\/p>\n Sadly, “Good Fortune” is no anomaly in the 2020s theatrical cinema landscape. What happened to this genre? How did we go from the glory days of 2012 hits like “Ted” and “Pitch Perfect” to endless flops like “Easter Sunday,” “Strays,” and legacy sequel “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues?”<\/a> There are several reasons for this severe decline, including intense competition from streaming services, persistent marketing problems, and issues related to quality, among others. Comedy movies are struggling to find their footing in this day and age for a deluge of reasons so grave they won’t leave anyone belly-laughing.<\/p>\n Read more: Love Scenes Actors Regret Filming<\/a><\/p>\nEmphasizing well-worn comedy leads<\/h2>\n