Can The Bear's Ayo Edebiri Make A Splash At The Box Office In Acclaimed Comedy Bottoms?

It's been a tough stretch for theatrical comedy over the last couple of years, save for a couple of hit rom-coms in "The Lost City" and "Ticket to Paradise." Beyond that, comedy has largely had to fight for scraps at the box office, with even Billy Eichner's well-liked "Bros" bombing in downright disconcerting fashion. But as the fall season approaches, MGM and Orion are hoping to break through with "Bottoms," an irreverent and wildly acclaimed comedy that stars Rachel Sennott and "The Bear" breakout Ayo Edebiri.

It's difficult to find comparisons for a movie like this in terms of a wide-release theatrical comedy. Having seen the movie, I can confidently say it's wildly original and straight-up bonkers. I would look at "Bros" doing just $14.7 million worldwide as the floor in a worst-case scenario. Oddly, I would look at something like "Barbarian," which had that "you need to see this to believe it" shock value that propelled it to $45.3 million against a mere $4.5 million budget as a comparison if things go well. In my mind, the goalposts are somewhere between those two movies.

The film, which represents another collaboration between Sennott and director Emma Seligman following 2020's "Shiva Baby," premiered earlier this year at SXSW to absolutely stellar reviews. (Read /Film's review here.) As of this writing, "Bottoms" holds a pretty incredible 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the best thing it has going for it. If audiences respond in kind, we could end up with a word-of-mouth hit.

"Bottoms" centers on two girls, PJ and Josie, who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. The fight club gains traction, and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But PJ and Josie find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before the truth behind their plan is exposed. The film's cast is very likable, with Edebiri, who also currently voices April O'Neill in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem," serving as one of this past year's true breakout stars. It also gives former NFL running back Marshawn Lynch a prominent role, and he's got a genuine movie star quality to him. (Not to mention that he's extremely popular, which doesn't hurt.)

The thing that is hurting this movie — as it's hurting every movie right now — is a lack of press. Because of the ongoing Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild strikes, writers and actors are not allowed to promote their projects. Press cycles are particularly important for a smaller movie like this, which carries a budget in the $11 million range. No talk shows, no press junkets — just a few pre-recorded videos. That makes it difficult to build awareness. All the more motivation for the studios to get a fair deal done.

Wisely, MGM is releasing the movie in key markets this weekend, including Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Austin, before letting it go wide next weekend over the Labor Day holiday. That strategy has worked well in some cases in the post-pandemic landscape, with "Everything Everywhere All at Once" ($139.4 million worldwide total/$501,000 opening in just 10 theaters) serving as the best example. We'll see if the strategy pays off next weekend.

"Bottoms" is in select theaters now and expands on September 1, 2023.