Universal’s bid at counter-programming appears to have paid off. Not only is the romantic comedy Ticket to Paradise holding well at the domestic box office, but the film is also quietly posting impressive numbers worldwide. Starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney as a warring divorced couple who are forced to reunite for their daughter’s sudden wedding, Ticket to Paradise has passed the $90 million mark in overseas markets.
The film is currently playing in 78 international territories, and actually began its global rollout a couple of weeks before its domestic debut last month, alongside the superhero film Black Adam. With $46.7 million at the domestic box office, the film has made nearly $140 million globally, against a reported budget of $60 million.
This is a win not only for the romantic comedy genre, which has all but moved entirely to streaming in recent years, but also for movies targeted at older crowds. Last year was particularly disappointing for adult-skewing dramas; Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story to Ridley Scott’s The Last Duel were some of the more notorious bombs. The sole outlier was Scott’s other film, House of Gucci, which made over $150 million worldwide against a reported $75 million budget, thanks mostly to Lady Gaga’s buzzy central performance and a salacious premise. The success of director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and Joseph Kosinski’s Top Gun: Maverick earlier this year suggested that older audiences were finally ready to head out to theaters.
Ticket to Paradise has surpassed the lifetime business of House of Gucci and The Lost City (minus Russia). The latter film is perhaps the closest comparable title, considering that it also targeted a similar demographic and was based on an old-fashioned “peril in paradise” premise. Starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, and Brad Pitt in a highly publicized extended cameo, The Lost City tapped out with $105 million stateside and $190 million worldwide, against a similar budget.
Reviews for Ticket to Paradise have been mixed. Collider’s own Emma Kiely wrote in her C- review, “Ticket to Paradise, if anything, is an example of the importance of star power and how sometimes a lousy script can be swept aside for two old friends taking center stage once again.”
The film is produced by Roberts, Lisa Roberts Gillan, and Marisa Yeres Gill with Red Om Films, Clooney and Oscar winner Grant Heslov for Smokehouse Pictures, and Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Sarah Harvey, and Deborah Balderstone. Directed by Ol Parker, who is best known for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, the film also stars Kaitlyn Dever, Billie Lourd, Maxime Bouttier and Lucas Bravo. You can watch our interview with Parker here, and stay tuned to Collider for more updates.