“They Came Together”: Who is the target audience for this movie?

On June 27, this movie will hit theaters and be available on VOD:

They Came Together is written by Michael Showalter and David Wain, and stars a slew of top comic talent including Paul Rudd, Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, and Ed Helms. Indiewire describes it this way: “It’s a romantic comedy parody, from the early meet-cute of bonding over a common love for fiction to the antagonistic face splash (before they inevitably end up together).”

The parody thing makes sense as there seems to be a mood that rom coms are a bit… shall we say… stale. Or perhaps worse.

What Went Wrong with Hollywood Romantic Comedies (December 2010 / Indiewire)

Romantic Comedies Are Dying Because Romance is Dead (March 2011 / Huffington Post)

Can the Romantic Comedy Be Saved (December 2012 / Vulture)

R.I.P. Romantic Comedies: Why Harry Wouldn’t Meet Sally in 2013 (September 2013 / THR)

Why Are Romantic Comedies So Bad? (February 2013 / The Atlantic)

Are Romantic Comedies Dead? (March 2013 / NPR)

Who Killed the Romantic Comedy? (February 2014 / L.A. Weekly)

What better time to parody a movie sub-genre than when it’s on the downside of popularity. Take its stale tropes and make fun of them.

Okay. So a question for you: Who is the target audience for this movie?

Is it fans of romantic comedies? I’m not so sure. Would someone who actually loves rom coms be motivated to watch a movie that makes fun of them?

Could it be comedy fans? Perhaps. That certainly seems to be the thinking of the filmmakers, filling the roles with a slew of comedic talent. But beyond Rudd and Poehler, are the names well known enough to draw crowds in flyover states? Moreover would male comedy fans be drawn to see a parody of a sub-genre that primarily targets women?

I hope the movie succeeds as it looks funny and I like the concept of having fun with romantic comedy conventions. But I’m honestly curious who the audience will be for this movie.

Are you interested to see it, especially those of you who are fans of romantic comedies? Let me know what you think. Click Reply and join me in comments to share your opinions.

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