In spite of the theatrical landscape being dominated by superhero movies and sequels, Universal’s Ticket to Paradise has shown that there is still a market for classic, star-driven studio romantic comedies. This is the exact genre of movie that was thought to have been lost to streaming or lost altogether. This weekend, the movie earned $163 million worldwide at the box office, including $65 million from domestic audiences and nearly $97 million from foreign markets.
The movie, starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney as a divorced couple compelled to get back together for their daughter’s impromptu wedding in Bali, hit theatres in October alongside the DC superhero film Black Adam. Before it even arrived on American soil, Ticket to Paradise had already made over $70 million abroad after starting its international rollout nearly a month before it made its debut here.
Ticket to Paradise, which had a reported $60 million budget, is one of the few adult-targeted studio movies to draw audiences in the post-pandemic era after movies like Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel notoriously underperformed. Only Scott’s other 2021 movie, House of Gucci, stood out, grossing over $150 million globally against an alleged $75 million budget.
The movie’s producers are Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Sarah Harvey, Deborah Balderstone, Clooney, Lisa Roberts Gillan, Marisa Yeres Gill, Red Om Films, and Oscar winner Grant Heslov for Smokehouse Pictures. Ol Parker, who is well known for directing Mamma Mia. Along with Kaitlyn Dever, Lucas Bravo, Billie Lourd, and Maxime Bouttier, Ticket to Paradise also features these actors.