Director Paul Feig's Bridesmaids, released in 2011 was a critical and commercial hit that earned over $300 million at the box office. But the filmmaker recently revealed that only few believed in the success of his women-led comedy.
Feig participated in a panel at SXSW, where his newest film, Another Simple Favor, featuring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, was showcased.
The 62-year-old filmmaker shared that he was made to feel as though the fate of how women's ideas would be received in the industry hinged on the success of his film.
Feig recalled, "So many of my female writer friends were pitching female-led comedies," but they were repeatedly told by studios that a decision couldn't be made yet. "We have to wait and see how Bridesmaids does," was the common response they received.
The pressure was so intense that he even found himself wondering, "Am I going to ruin movies for women?"
Feig admitted, "I was like, ‘F**k! Don’t put that on me. Am I going to ruin movies for women?’" He noted that similar doubts weren’t cast on male-led films, saying, "I don't think with The Hangover they said, ‘I’m gonna wait to see all these dudes on screen before we do this again.’" Fortunately, he added, the film's success proved them wrong.
Starring Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Rose Byrne, the romantic comedy centers on Wiig's character, who is tasked with being a bridesmaid for her best friend, played by Maya Rudolph.
Also recognised for films such as Freaks and Geeks, The Heat, and Spy, Feig shared that he had been told up until the day of the release that the film wouldn’t succeed.
"Right till the day we came out, we were predicted to not do well. We were told, 'You have to make $20 million on opening weekend, or you will be considered a failure.'"
"And we did a midnight screening the night before that didn't go well. They were like, ‘It's gonna be USD 13 million. Sorry, it's a bomb.' All day, I was walking around, like, ‘I guess I destroyed comedy for women.'"
Feig reminisced about receiving the exciting news. "Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone were over at our house for dinner when the texts started coming in—'20 million. 21. 22.'" Excitement took over, and a decision was made to drive down to the Arclight Cinema. "It was packed. It became the greatest moment of our lives," he shared.