In a year where there have been several disappointments, the comedy genre has seen the most successes out of any genre this year...
Kicking things off was Vince Vaughn and Kevin James in The Dilemma, one of the few comedies that failed to draw a signifigant audience. It earned about $17 million over the four-day Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend, and would go on to gross close to $50 million domestic and over $70 million worldwide versus a $70 million budget, so at least it broke even. The following week saw the first victory with No Strings Attached, starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, which earned a solid $20 million on its' debut on its' way to $70 million domestic and nearly $150 million worldwide.
February brought Adam Sandler comedy Just Go With It, which continued his winning streak with a $30 million start and a finish north of $100 million domestic along with $215 million worldwide. Two weeks later, Owen Wilson saw a modest hit with Hall Pass, which earned $13 million on its' debut, on its' way to $45 million domestic and nearly $85 million worldwide. The following weekend brought another rare bomb with Take Me Home Tonight, the 80's comedy struggling with just $7 million stateside. Two weeks later brought the sci-fi comedy Paul, which turned in modest numbers with nearly $40 million stateside and nearly $100 million worldwide.
Russell Brand's remake of Arthur tried to gross more than its' 1980's original, but it only managed to break even with $33 million domestic and just over $40 million worldwide. Fantasy comedy Your Highness, on the other hand, was a bomb at just $26 million worldwide despite the starpower of Danny McBride and Natalie Portman. Easter weekend brought the latest Madea comedy from Tyler Perry, Madea's Big Happy Family, which was a success at over $50 million domestic. The first week of May brought two modest successes, Jumping the Broom and Something Borrowed, which earned over $35 million each domestically, while the latter grossed over $60 milion worldwide.
The years' two biggest comedies were released in May as well. Kristen Wiig comedy Bridesmaids was a sleeper smash, with nearly $170 million domestic after just a $26 million opening, and nearly $300 million worldwide. In the process, it became director Judd Apatow's biggest-grossing movie yet and earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture-Comedy. Memorial Day Weekend brought The Hangover: Part II, which broke the Memorial Day Weekend record at $135 million in five days and over $260 million when it finished, just falling short of its' leggy predecessor. However, it became the years' seventh-biggest movie worldwide with over $580 million and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all-time worldwide.
The next month brought another success as Cameron Diaz starred in Bad Teacher, which grossed over $30 million on its' debut in the face of Cars 2, and went on to gross over $100 million domestic and $215 million worldwide. July brought a big slate of comedies, starting with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in Larry Crowne, which was a minor success with $35 million domestic and $60 million worldwide. Horrible Bosses came out the following weekend and was a smash success with nearly $30 million on its' opening and nearly $210 million worldwide. Justin Timberlake tried to break into romantic comedies with Friends with Benefits, which was also a hit with $55 million domestic and $150 million worldwide, similar to similar film No Strings Attached. The month wrapped up with Steve Carell and others in Crazy, Stupid, Love, which was another sleeper hit with nearly $85 million domestic and over $140 million worldwide as well as earning a Golden Globe nomination.
The summers' last romance comedy was a bomb, as The Change-Up earned $40 million domestic, but would become a minor success worldwide with over $70 milliion on that front. Though not a romantic comedy, book adaption The Help was another smash success, with nearly $170 million domestic off just a $25 million opening and budget, and over $200 million worldwide. The film also recieved five Golden Globe nominations. Also not counting as a romance comedy, Paul Rudd flick Our Idiot Brother was also a success, with $25 million domestic against just a $5 million budget, but it didn't quite lift The Weinstein Company out of its' slump.
The years' biggest comedy bomb was Bucky Larson: Born To Be A Star, which was severely ignored by critics and got just $4 million stateside. Another bomb was Sarah Jessica Parker comedy and book adaption I Don't Know How She Does It, which earned only $10 million stateside, but broke even with $30 million worldwide. The end of September brought 50/50, which as a dramedy, it succeeded, with critical acclaim, nearly $40 million worldwide (5 times its' $8 million budget) and two Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture-Comedy. Opening in contention against it was Anna Faris flick What's Your Number?, which failed with just $15 million stateside, but broke even with $30 million worldwide.
Birdwatching comedy The Big Year was another disaster, with just $7 million domestic and the worst-performing film in Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black's careers. November saw two minor successes with Tower Heist and A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas, with $75 million and $35 million stateside, with the former earning nearly $130 million worldwide. Adam Sandler got into cross-dressing with Jack & Jill, which has done modest business with $75 million domestic and nearly $100 million worldwide.
Onto the current releases, ensemble comedy New Year's Eve has been doing a fraction of Valentine's Day's business and will struggle to reach $50 million domestic, while Jonah Hill's The Sitter has done modestly by far, with $25 million domestic and more probably to come overseas.
Final part coming tomorrow...
