It’s very easy to dismiss popcorn friendly movies. But just because these easy-watching films and their shiny wholesome production values and content avoid controversial topics doesn’t mean that they have any less value or worth that their darker, more serious rivals. At least according to Kirk Jones, the director of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, who thinks the world needs more movies like this.
When I recently had the opportunity to attend the press conference for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, Kirk Jones looked to explain why there is a place for such feel-good romantic comedies in the cinematic landscape.
Everyone at this table is a huge fan of making movies that make you feel good, make you laugh, make you cry every now and again. The dark stuff is out there. And we all enjoy watching that every now and again. But there is absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t invest our time in making movies that make people feel good and touch on human subjects.
The appeal and warmth of the original My Big Fat Greek Wedding was one of the reasons why the 2002 rom-com went on to become a huge hit and gross over $360 million at the worldwide box office. There was just something so endearing and alluring about the story and the characters that made family audiences not only trek back to cinemas to see it on multiple occasions, but also tell their friends and family to do the same. In fact, despite its hugely impressive haul, which included a total of $260 million domestically, My Big Fat Greek Wedding never actually topped the box office during its extended run.
It’s unsurprising that Kirk Jones made these comments regarding My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 when you look at the box office competition that the film has to deal with this coming Friday. Not only is there the small matter of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but for viewers that don’t want to see the two iconic superheroes go at it there’s also the Hank Williams biopic I Saw The Light.
But My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is the perfect antidote to these films. Clearly there are going to be quite a few younger viewers that want to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which will leave some mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents looking for a film that will appeal to them all.
There’s also precedence for films out on the same day to profit from the release of huge blockbusters. While Star Wars: The Force Awakens grossed over $2 billion back in December, Sisters and Daddy’s Home each took home the hugely respectable $105 million and $238 million, respectively. This type of counter programming can be very successful. We’ll see if My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 can match these totals when it’s released later this Friday.
