Marry Me is a 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kat Coiro, with a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher, and Harper Dill. Based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same title by Bobby Crosby,[1] it stars Jennifer Lopez (who also produced) as Kat Valdez, a superstar, who decides to marry Charlie Gilbert (Owen Wilson), a math teacher holding a "Marry Me" sign, after learning that her on-stage bridegroom, Bastian (Maluma), has been having an affair.

Marry Me
A man and a woman walks past a concert poster featuring the woman.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKat Coiro
Screenplay by
Based onMarry Me
by Bobby Crosby
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyFlorian Ballhaus
Edited by
Music byJohn Debney
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • February 9, 2022 (2022-02-09) (Los Angeles)
  • February 11, 2022 (2022-02-11) (United States)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$23 million
Box office$50.5 million

The film was announced in April 2019, with Lopez and Wilson set to star and Coiro joining the project as director. Universal Pictures acquired the film distribution rights in July 2019. Principal photography took place in Manhattan in October and November 2019. A soundtrack album of the same name by Lopez and Maluma was also produced. The lead single, titled "Pa' Ti", was released on September 24, 2020, and debuted at number nine on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs, marking Lopez's highest chart debut in the United States since 2017.[2]

Marry Me premiered in Los Angeles on February 9, 2022, and was released in the United States theatrically and simultaneously available on Peacock Premium on February 11. It was delayed twice from an original February 2021 release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received mixed reviews from critics, grossing $50.5 million against a budget of $23 million.[3] On streaming, Marry Me became the most-streamed day-and-date title on Peacock.[4]

Plot

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Superstar Kat Valdez is a long-known star of the Latin community who has had three failed high-profile marriages. After "Marry Me", a song by Kat and her fiancé, Bastian, becomes a chart-topper across the world, they plan to hold their wedding ceremony in front of a streaming audience at one of Kat's concerts. Charlie Gilbert, a divorced math teacher, is guilt-tripped into attending the concert with his friend Parker and his daughter, Lou, who has lately been less than enthused with her father.

Just as Kat prepares to go to the altar, a showbiz gossip website publishes video of Bastian's infidelity with her assistant Tyra. Kat's manager shows her his phone, revealing the fast-spreading news to her. In distress, Kat sees Charlie in the crowd holding Parker's sign reading "Marry Me"; to the surprise of the entire venue, she impulsively decides to do so. Unsure, Charlie goes onstage and marries Kat in front of the world. After the ceremony, Kat refuses to speak with Bastian or Tyra as she and Charlie leave. The two are awkward and polite to each other before Kat goes home with a broken heart.

The following day, needing to respond to the frenzied media coverage and speculation about her mental state, Kat decides to stay married to Charlie for a few months to put a positive spin on the situation. He reluctantly agrees, not wanting to cause a stir in either of their personal lives. Charlie poses for media appearances, though he is uncomfortable with the scrutiny. They eventually begin to grow close after spending time together away from the media and her management. Charlie eventually asks Kat to a school dance as a date, and she accepts: that night they kiss and sleep together for the first time, spending the next few weeks together in a real romantic relationship. Kat also ingratiates herself with Charlie's students and Lou: while Charlie prepares his math team for a mathalon with Kat's encouragement to the students, Kat teaches Lou, who has stage fright, to dance to take her mind off her anxiety.

Bastian shows up to announce that "Marry Me" has been nominated for a Grammy, Kat's first nomination. Charlie is wary of the fact that Kat and Bastian will have to perform together again, but Kat insists it is over between them. However, Charlie becomes unsure that he can compare to Bastian and fit into Kat's world: reasoning that their marriage was never real to begin with, he breaks up with her.

Kat writes a love song, "On My Way", that becomes more successful than "Marry Me". While filming an appearance on The Tonight Show with Bastian, Kat realizes it is the night before the mathalon, where she promised to support Lou and Charlie; she corrects rumors, stating that she and Bastian are not back together and she did not write "On My Way" for Bastian but for Charlie, before abruptly departing the show to reunite with Charlie, who is helping Lou overcome her stage fright with the dance Kat taught her. Kat holds up a sign asking Charlie to marry her again, to which Charlie agrees. Kat, Charlie, and Lou become a happy family with their dog. In the credits, a series of couples and their stories of how they met are shown.

Cast

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In addition, Today host Hoda Kotb and The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon make cameo appearances, as hosts of their shows.

Production

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In April 2019, it was announced that Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson would star in the romantic comedy film Marry Me. Kat Coiro would direct, from a screenplay by John Rogers, Tami Sagher, and Harper Dill, based upon the graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby, and STX Entertainment would distribute.[5] In July 2019, it was announced Universal Pictures would distribute the film instead of STX.[6] That same month, Sarah Silverman, John Bradley, and Maluma joined the cast of the film.[7] Michelle Buteau, Jameela Jamil, and Chloe Coleman were cast in October.[8][9][10] Principal photography began in and around New York City in October 2019,[11] and concluded on November 22.[12]

Music

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Release

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Marry Me had its world premiere in Los Angeles on February 9, 2022.[13] It was released in theaters on February 11, 2022, by Universal Pictures.[14] It was previously set for February 12, 2021, but was delayed to May 14, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, until it was moved to February 11, 2022 because of another shift in the release schedule.[15][16] It was available for streaming on Peacock the same day.[17] Universal spent $15 million in television commercials promoting the film by the time it premiered in theaters. According to social media analytic RelishMix, the film had a large social media reach of 546.5 million interactions, a number larger than other musicals like 2021's West Side Story at 211.8 million interactions, 2017's The Greatest Showman at 313.2 million, and 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody at 242.1 million.[18]

Home media

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Marry Me was released on digital platforms and on Amazon Prime Video on March 13, 2022 and on Blu-ray and DVD on March 29, 2022 by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.[19]

Reception

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Box office

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Marry Me grossed $22.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $28.0 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $50.5 million,[20] against a budget of $23 million.[21] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a 80% positive score, with 66% saying they would definitely recommend it.[22]

In the United States and Canada, Marry Me was released alongside Death on the Nile and Blacklight, and was projected to gross $6–11 million from 3,642 theaters in its opening weekend.[21] The film went on to debut to $7.9 million, finishing third behind Death on the Nile and holdover Jackass Forever.[23] On Valentine's Day, the movie earned first place at the box office with $3 million, making it the first romantic comedy to lead the Valentine's Day box office since 2014's About Last Night.[24][25] The film finished third in its second weekend, with $3.7 million, sixth in its third weekend, with $1.9 million, then was cut back to 1,211 theatres for its fourth weekend, dropping out of the domestic box office top ten when it earned $0.6 million.[23]

Outside the U.S. and Canada, the film grossed $16.5 million in its opening weekend from 65 international markets. The film earned $5.2 million in its second weekend,[26] $2.7 million in its third,[27] and $1.1 million in its fourth from 67 markets.[28]

Audience viewership

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Marry Me became the most-streamed day-and-date film on Peacock, according to Comcast CEO and chairman Brian L. Roberts.[4][29][30] In April 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that over six million Peacock accounts had streamed the film.[31] In June 2022, it also became a hit on Amazon Prime, staying at number one for about 2 weeks.[32]

Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of 216 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Marry Me's silly storyline is heavy on the 'something old' and 'something borrowed,' but the movie's well-matched leads make it easy to say 'I do.'"[33] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 51 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[34]

Angie Han of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: "Those hoping the film might push the genre to its most extravagant limits may be surprised at how (relatively) low-key their love story ends up being. But sometimes that's the most pleasurable kind of fairy tale — one so close to convincing, you can forget for a spell that it's all just a dream."[35] Owen Gleiberman of Variety wrote that "[the] bar for rom-coms is not high, and this one, ludicrous as it often is, inches over the bar. But I would no more call it a good movie than I'd pretend fast food is high in nutrients."[36]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient Result Ref.
MTV Movie & TV Awards June 5, 2022 Best Song "On My Way (Marry Me)" – Jennifer Lopez Won [37]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 16, 2022 Best Song – Onscreen Performance (Film) Jennifer Lopez for "On My Way (Marry Me)" Nominated [38]
Best Soundtrack Album Jennifer Lopez and Maluma for Marry Me Nominated
Live Concert for Visual Media Marry Me Live Concert Special Nominated
People's Choice Awards December 6, 2022 Comedy Movie of 2022 Marry Me Nominated [39]
Female Movie Star of 2022 Jennifer Lopez Nominated
Comedy Movie Star of 2022 Jennifer Lopez Nominated

References

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  1. ^ "MARRY ME: an online graphic novel by Bobby Crosby and Remy "Eisu" Mokhtar". Keenspot. July 30, 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
  2. ^ Bustios, Pamela (October 8, 2020). "Jennifer Lopez and Maluma's 'Pa' Ti' Debuts In Top 10 on Hot Latin Songs Chart". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  3. ^ Erbland, Kate (February 14, 2022). "Marry Me Didn't Save the Rom-Com, but Here's 4 Practical Ideas That Could". IndieWire. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Maas, Jennifer (March 7, 2022). "'Marry Me' Is the Most-Streamed Day-and-Date Movie on Peacock and 'Bel-Air' Top Original Series, Comcast CEO Says". Variety. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  5. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (April 22, 2019). "Jennifer Lopez, STX Reteaming For Rom-Com 'Marry Me'; Owen Wilson In Talks To Co-Star". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  6. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 15, 2019). "Jennifer Lopez Rom-Com 'Marry Me' Jumps From STX To Universal; Maluma Joins Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  7. ^ Kroll, Justin (July 19, 2019). "Sarah Silverman and 'Game of Thrones' Star John Bradley Join Universal's 'Marry Me' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 28, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  8. ^ Kroll, Justin (October 2, 2019). "Jennifer Lopez's 'Marry Me' Adds 'Always Be My Maybe's' Michelle Buteau (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2019.
  9. ^ Jamil, Jameela (October 2, 2019). "Doing a scene with J Lo today". Twitter. Archived from the original on October 2, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
  10. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 3, 2019). "Andrew Bachelor Joins 'Love, Weddings & Other Disasters'; Michael Hyatt Cast In 'The Little Things'; 'Marry Me' Rom-Com Adds 'Big Little Lies' Actress". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 11, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
  11. ^ Steves, Ashley (September 11, 2019). "Now Casting: Join the Feature Film 'Marry Me' Starring Jennifer Lopez + 3 More Gigs". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on September 26, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  12. ^ Goldsmith-Thomas, Elaine (November 22, 2019). "THATS A WRAP!!!!! #marrymemovie. Cannot wait for you guys to see this film, to hear this music, and to go on this journey with us. Insanely proud. Beyond excited. And eternally grateful to have by my side my partner and best friend @jlo -Without you there's no engine. No music. No magic. No soul. Here's to scaling another mountain together. Coming at you in 2020. @jlo @maluma #owenwilson @sarahkatesilverman @chloecolemanact @michellebuteau @katcoiro @alexbrown32 @harperdill #nuyoricanproductions UNIVERSAL STUDIOS THANK YOU!!". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  13. ^ "Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck Share a Sweet Kiss at 'Marry Me' Premiere in LA — Photos". February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Welk, Brian (February 8, 2021). "Jennifer Lopez Rom-Com 'Marry Me' Bumped to Valentine's Day 2022". The Wrap. Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  15. ^ Welk, Brian (September 14, 2020). "Jennifer Lopez-Owen Wilson Rom-Com 'Marry Me' Sets Pre-Valentine's Day Release in 2021". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  16. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 10, 2020). "Jennifer Lopez Romantic Comedy 'Marry Me' Heads To Summer". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  17. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 13, 2021). "Jennifer Lopez & Owen Wilson Romantic Comedy Marry Me Going Theatrical Day & Date On Peacock". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
  18. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 13, 2022). "Death On The Nile Charting $12.8M, Marry Me $8M In Valentine's Day Weekend Where Hollywood Pines For Female Auds – Sunday Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  19. ^ "'Marry Me': Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson Rom-Com Gets Digital and Blu-ray Release Dates". Collider. March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  20. ^ "Marry Me". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved July 17, 2023. 
  21. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 9, 2022). "Death On The Nile, Marry Me, Blacklight & Urgency For Adults At Weekend Box Office – Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  22. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 13, 2022). "Death On The Nile Charting $12.8M, Marry Me $8M In Valentine's Day Weekend Where Hollywood Pines For Female Auds – Sunday Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Marry Me | Domestic Weekend". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  24. ^ "Marry Me | Domestic Daily". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  25. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 15, 2022). "Jennifer Lopez-Owen Wilson Romantic Comedy Marry Me Leads Valentine's Day Box Office With $3M; Death On The Nile 4-Day At $15.5M". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  26. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (February 20, 2022). "Uncharted Levels Up To $139M WW Cume In Expanded Global Play – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  27. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (February 27, 2022). "Uncharted Darts To $226M WW, Spider-Man: No Way Home Tops Titanic's Original Global Run – International Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 27, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  28. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (March 7, 2022). "The Batman Lights Up $124M Overseas For $258M Global Bow – International Box Office Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  29. ^ "Comcast CEO Roberts: 'Marry Me,' 'Bel-Air' Most-Streamed Movie, TV Show on Peacock – Media Play News". March 7, 2022. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  30. ^ "Jennifer Lopez's Marry Me sets a Peacock streaming record, digital and Blu-ray release dates announced". March 8, 2022. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  31. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 4, 2022). "Prime Video Takes U.S. Rights To Jennifer Lopez Lionsgate Romantic Comedy Shotgun Wedding". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  32. ^ Helm, Douglas (June 29, 2022). "Jennifer Lopez Has The #1 Movie On Streaming". giantfreakinrobot. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  33. ^ "Marry Me". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 17, 2023.  
  34. ^ "Marry Me". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  35. ^ Han, Angie (February 10, 2022). "Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson in 'Marry Me': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  36. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (February 10, 2022). "'Marry Me' Review: Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson Bring Charm to a Rom-Com That's Mildly Preposterous and Knows It". Variety. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  37. ^ "MTV Movie & TV Awards: See the full list of winners". CNN. June 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 6, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  38. ^ Anderson, Erik (November 3, 2022). "Black Panther, Bros, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio lead Hollywood Music in Media Awards (HMMA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  39. ^ Piña, Christy (December 6, 2022). "People's Choice Awards: Doctor Strange 2, Don't Worry Darling Take Top Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
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