Between June and August 2023, only a handful comedies (not comedy-dramas or rom-coms, but straight up comedies) were or will be released into theaters, including No Hard Feelings, Joy Ride, and Bottoms. Twenty years ago, that list was much longer. Movie studios are hesitant to give a coveted blockbuster season slot to a comedy, which usually don’t do well overseas.
Adam Devine pins the blame for the death of big-screen comedies on superhero movies.
“You watch comedies nowadays and you’re like, this is not a f*cking comedy. Where are the jokes? Where are the bits?” The Righteous Gemstones and Workaholics star said on an episode of the This Past Weekend podcast. “There’s still good [comedy] shows and stuff, but movie comedy… it’s hard.”
Devine’s theory? “I think Marvel ruined it. I feel like superhero movies 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 go watch a little comedy in the theater if I can spend that and see something that is worth $200 million?'”
As someone who’s heard that (flawed) rationale from friends, he’s not wrong. Something like No Hard Feelings doesn’t have the flash of, well, The Flash, but watching a comedy in a packed theater sure beats laughing at Jennifer Lawrence’s nude fight scene at home by yourself.
Devine took another shot at Marvel, saying, “And they still make those movies kind of funny, like, ‘Oh my god, is that raccoon talking? This is hilarious!’ Which it is, but it’s not like a real comedy.” You can listen to the podcast below.
(Via EW)
