A rom-com renaissance could be sparked in Hollywood by "Anyone But You."

• During its opening weekend in December, "Anyone But You" by Sony earned a modest $6 million at the box office.
• Since its release, the romantic comedy has grossed $170 million worldwide, with $80 million coming from domestic theaters in just seven weeks.
• Superhero-based blockbusters are now preferred by Hollywood studios over romantic comedies, which are no longer in favor.
• Romantic comedies continue to have a place in the theatrical space, as evidenced by the success of "Anyone But You."

"Anyone But You" was not expected to be a box-office hit, as it earned only $6 million in ticket sales during its opening weekend, despite being released just before the busy Christmas movie season.

The film's box-office success mirrored the slow-burning romance between its main characters, portrayed by Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney.

Since its release, the romantic comedy has grossed $170 million worldwide, with $80 million coming from domestic theaters, despite having a production budget of only $25 million.

The film's success at the box office is a "healthy sign" for the romantic comedy genre and other mid-budget Hollywood flicks, according to Scott Meslow, author of "From Hollywood With Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy." However, it is uncertain if other rom-coms can replicate its success.

After the success of Marvel's interconnected cinematic universe, Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and DC Studios' "Man of Steel," the rom-com was removed from theaters and later used as padding for streaming services.

From 2011 to the present, Hollywood has released fewer than 15 new romantic comedy or romance films annually, with most years seeing less than 10 releases.

According to Meslow, there was no "kill shot" in the form of a rom-com film or series that led to a decline in theatrical releases of the genre.

Instead, it came after media companies changed their priorities.

According to Will Gluck, the writer-director of "Anything But You" and the filmmaker behind "Easy A" and "Friends with Benefits," studios are businesses that seek to replicate successful things. Therefore, there is no inherent bias against rom-coms and comedies.

With superhero movies and action films with $200 million budgets and billions in box-office returns being the priority, smaller-budget films may have been profitable but less so in comparison. Now, as superheroes fall out of favor and Wall Street seeks profitability from direct-to-consumer streaming platforms, the romantic comedy genre is set to make a comeback.

Theaters continue to attract audiences for romantic comedies, as demonstrated by Gluck's "Anyone But You."

The film's performance is a result of the success of two rom-coms from 2022, "The Lost City" and "Ticket to Paradise," which generated nearly $200 million and $170 million respectively on budgets of under $75 million and $60 million.

Despite a slow start at the box office, "Anyone But You" saw an increase in ticket sales in its second and third weekend. Even when sales began to decline, they fell only 27% or less in each of the next five weeks. This is typically the case for films, which usually see sales drop around 50% to 70% in each week following their opening weekend.

The success of the film is largely due to word-of-mouth and the influence of TikTok, according to Gluck.

Following the release of the film, individuals on social media began creating brief videos of themselves performing to Natasha Bedingfield's 2004 hit "Unwritten." The song is included in the movie, and both the cast and crew can be seen singing and dancing to it during the final credits.

Meslow stated that it would not be surprising if this became a textbook case of modern Hollywood marketing, as it effectively utilized TikTok and the stars' presence on it better than any movie ever released.

The film "Anyone But You" will now be evaluated by Hollywood to determine if it is a unique theatrical strategy or a replicable one. The movie was successful due to several factors, including a January release with no blockbuster competition.

The industry is already adopting a strategy that focuses on discovering potential sleeper hits, such as "Anyone But You."

Studios are committed to reviving mid-budget films in theaters, which can generate revenue and provide opportunities for advertising future releases.

Theatrical releases are crucial for generating buzz and establishing a film's quality, which then translates into revenue from on-demand sales and streaming platforms.

In 2023, "No Hard Feelings" by Sony grossed $83.8 million worldwide on a $45 million budget and became a top-streaming film on Netflix when it was released in October.

After its theatrical run, "Anyone But You" will be available on Netflix as part of a streaming distribution deal with Sony signed in 2021.

Gluck, who enjoys taking on a wide variety of projects, anticipates continuing to write and direct films like "Anyone But You" in the future.

Gluck stated that he would prefer to take a risk on a lower-budget movie than a $200 million film. He explained that his entire career has been centered around mid-level budget films, and he enjoys the challenge of outperforming expectations. According to Gluck, it is always exciting to be underestimated and then exceed those expectations.

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.

An earlier version of a chart in this article contained an error by misspelling "The Dark Knight."