Films released on or around Valentine’s Day, like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “The Vow,” occasionally strike box office gold.
Here are the five highest earning V-Day releases.
Columbia Pictures
Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler in "50 First Dates."
5) “He’s Just Not That Into You”
Worldwide Gross: $178,846,899
Who knew that an adaptation of a self-help book would hit the rom-com jackpot?
“He’s Just Not That Into You” follows a group of Baltimore residents dealing with the ups and downs of love. The 2009 multi-story comedy took in $27 million in its opening weekend.
The film’s cast, which includes Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Bradley Cooper, and Scarlett Johansson, probably had something to do with that.
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4) “50 First Dates”
Worldwide Gross: $196,482,882
Sure “Memento” offers much better insights into the perils of short-term memory loss, but “50 First Dates” struck a chord with filmgoers. The film grossed over $39 million during its first weekend of release.
The Hawaii-set rom-com stars Adam Sandler as a marine biologist who falls for a woman with a brain injury (Drew Barrymore) who can't remember meeting him, forcing him to court her over and over again.
This wasn’t the first Valentine’s Day hit to star Sandler and Barrymore. Their comedy “The Wedding Singer” hit theaters in February 1998 and took in $123 million.
3) “Just Go With It”
Worldwide Gross: $214,945, 591
What is it about Adam Sandler that brings audiences to the theaters around V-Day? In 2011, the funnyman starred in the massively successful “Just Go With It.”
Sandler stars as a plastic surgeon who pretends to be married in order to lure women. When he meets his dream girl (Brooklyn Decker), he enlists the help of his co-worker (Jennifer Aniston) to play the part of his estranged wife.
It didn’t matter that the comedy received largely negative reviews or that it’s plot was ludicrous--the film earned $30 million in its first weekend of release.
2) “Valentine’s Day”
Worldwide Gross: $216,485,654
Though the plotless “Valentine’s Day” is pretty terrible, audiences headed to the theater in droves to see it in 2011. The comedy, which stars Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, and Bradley Cooper, enjoyed a $56 million opening.
Studios attempted to capitalize on the success of the ensemble chick flick in 2012 with the “New Year’s Eve,” but the critically panned film sank at the box office.
1) “Hitch”
Worldwide Gross: $368,100,420
Most Will Smith movies are massive box office hits so it’s no surprise that the 2005 comedy “Hitch” is the highest grossing V-day release of all time. The comedy took in a whopping $43 million during its opening weekend.
The film follows a date doctor (Smith) who begins dating the one woman who’s impervious to his charm ((Eva Menes).
This Valentine’s Day weekend marks the release of the Bruce Willis action flick “It’s A Good Day to Die Hard” and the more holiday appropriate “Beautiful Creatures” and “Safe Haven.”
It’s possible that one of these films could outshine previous V-Day premieres.
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