Hollywood, romance readers are begging you to let us give you our money.
Over the last two weeks, two properties with romance novels at their cores have dominated the pop-culture landscape.
Few seemed to credit its source material, Julia Quinn’s bestselling romance novels.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Would season 2 released in a world creeping back to some version of normalcy possibly draw as much interest?
Particularly without its breakout cast member,Rege-Jean Page, now making a bid at movie stardom?
There is, in short, a version ofBridgertonfor everyone.
Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in ‘Romancing the Stone’.20th Century Fox/Everett Collection
(We should have stickers that say “Ask Me About Joan Wilder.")
But romance lovers braced forThe Lost City first leeringly titledThe Lost City of D with caution.
By some miracle, the film avoids those traps and celebrates the genre instead.
Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in ‘The Lost City’.Kimberley French/Paramount
Alan rebuts her, saying anything that brings people as much happiness as her books can’t be schlock.
Can Romancelandia put that on a billboard, hey?
Or maybe just email it in a memo to every development department in Hollywood?
Liam Daniel/Netflix; Kimberley French/Paramount
So, why won’t Hollywood wake up and smell the rose-petal-infused sheets?
Romance authors like Rebekah Weatherspoon pointed to an enduring “disconnect” between Hollywood executives and romance readers.
But there was a new hope that the genre would finally find its place in Hollywood boardrooms.
“It is easier to get meetings, and they are more interested in what we’re selling.”
Avon editor Erika Tsang also noted an uptick in informational meeting requests from producers and executives.
But a year later, none of those projects have seemed to move out of development hell.
They’ve not announced casting news, much less a projected start date for production.
And anecdotally, authors and editors tell me the same thing: The phone is not ringing.
These are books prepackaged with passionate fanbases, well-developed characters, impeccable world-building, and swoony love stories.
All Hollywood has to do is put its money where its mouth is.
We know Hollywood can be slow on the uptake.
One typical answer to this conundrum is sexism: Female-focused content is institutionally belittled and dismissed.
What will it take to get executives to see the storytelling potential in the rich catalogues of romance imprints?
Is Hollywood really that unimaginative or shortsighted?
Romance publishing could be a cash cow for mainstream Hollywood.
The evidence is right in front of our eyes.
Hollywood just needs to open its pocketbooks and let audiences fall in love.
