Casting the Ultimate Rom-Com with Ranker Data
We took a look at the stars that movie-goers both old and young love most. Pairing them together could help rom-com producers target exactly the right audience.
Photo: Hulu
Far from being on its way out, the romantic comedy movie is actually having a resurgence. Netflix filled a noticeable rom-com market gap that the rest of the film industry had ignored up until very recently, and other studios quickly followed with coming-of-age romance movies like Love, Simon and Eighth Grade. What’s more, the last few years have seen romantic comedies venture outside the genre’s typical audience of teenagers and twenty-somethings. Movies like The Big Sick and Palm Springs found critical success and wide audiences for their willingness to experiment with the tropes and stereotypes that typically define the rom-com genre.
That means that there’s plenty of good reason for movie studios to explore inventive, thoughtful romantic comedies for audiences of all ages. But how do they target the right viewers? Ranker has some demographic data that could help them out.
We took a look at Ranker’s lists of the Best Male Actors Working Today and the Best Actresses Working Today, which together feature a grand total of over two million votes from 130,000 people. We drilled down into the results and divided our voters into two groups: people under 40 and people aged 40 and up. Both older and younger audiences have their own favorite actors and actresses, and we’ve paired them together according to their respective rankings: the #1 actor according to voters over 40 is paired with the #1 actress, and so on. What resulted is a list of powerhouse rom-com couples that could be perfect for attracting either younger or older movie audiences.
Rom-Com Power Couples that Younger Audiences Would Love To See
TILDA SWINTON & JIM CARREY:
Few would expect these two to star in any film together, let alone a romantic comedy. And even fewer would expect these actors, both well over 50, to be the favorites of younger moviegoers. But now that you think of it…wouldn’t you pay to see this movie?
Ranker data says Jim Carrey is particularly popular in the Northeast, and that Tilda Swinton is beloved by female voters of all ages.
JULIE ANDREWS & TOM CRUISE:
It’s been too long since we’ve had a decent Harold and Maude-style movie about a May-December relationship (or in the case of the 58 year-old Tom Cruise, August-December).
Ranker data says Tom Cruise is also the #2 choice of voters outside the United States, giving this rom-com big international potential.
JASON STATHAM & KEIRA KNIGHTLEY:
Okay, so maybe we don’t typically think of British action star Jason Statham as rom-com material. But let’s at least give him a shot as Mr. Darcey to Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennett before we reject him out of hand
Ranker data says Jason Statham is the #6 choice among men overall, which could help the film reach male viewers who are typically less interested in romantic comedies. Knightley would hedge producers’ bets, as the Pirates of the Caribbeans actress is particularly popular among women.
CHRIS HEMSWORTH & JESSICA CHASTAIN:
Two actors in their respective primes, tons of young people who love to see their films. This is a no-brainer!
Ranker data says that Chris Hemsworth is the #1 actor among married voters, while Jessica Chastain is the top pick for single voters. As far as millennials go, this pairing would cover all the bases.
Rom-Com Power Couples that Older Audiences Would Love To See
MARTIN FREEMAN & ELISABETH MOSS:
Just as younger viewers picked older stars, Ranker readers aged 40 and up picked stars under 50 as their top rom-com power couple. We won’t hurt our brains trying to explain it — we’re just enjoying the idea of two of TV’s biggest breakout stars of the last decade teaming up.
Ranker data says women are especially likely to vote up Sherlock on our list of The Greatest TV Dramas of All Time, while men are especially likely to vote up Mad Men.
JON HAMM & SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR:
Sort of a blast from the past here, but older audiences want to see a Sarah Michelle Gellar comeback. Nothing would seal that deal like an on-screen romance with Don Draper!
Ranker data says Jon Hamm is the #2 choice for voters in the Northeast (just behind Jim Carrey).
PETER DINKLAGE & TONI COLLETTE:
Two great and often underrated talents with tons of dramatic range. We probably wouldn’t have come up with this pairing on our own, so we’re glad our readers did for us!
Ranker data says both Dinklage are big in the Pacific Northwest. Both actors are particularly popular in the state of Washington, and Dinklage is also among the top choices of voters in Oregon.
SIMON PEGG & RACHEL WEISZ:
These are two British actors with big cult followings — this is another movie match made in heaven.
Ranker data says, surprisingly enough, that Weisz’s biggest audience is older men who live in beachy parts of the US like Florida and Hawaii (though she’s also the #15 choice among voters in Alaska).
