Nina Lee, award-winning filmmaker and creator of The Girls Room and Sorry About That, recently posted a thread on X (formerly Twitter) where she revealed that the sale of two of her romance film projects depends on how well the new romantic comedy film You, Me & Tuscany does in theaters. She said in the thread, “A film that has nothing to do with me could quite literally change my life.”
Lee’s call to support the film has re-ignited the discourse about which films get made and why black films have a harder time being green lit in Hollywood. Why is Hollywood making a decision about future black films based on the success of one movie?
There’s an age-old myth in Hollywood that black-led films only appeal to black audiences and aren’t as profitable. Studios don’t put as much money or effort into promoting them, which reinforces the idea that one black film has to prove itself for future black films to be considered worth the investment.
Even Ryan Coogler’s Sinners wasn’t safe. Despite the success of films like Black Panther and the Creed franchise, Variety's April 2025 article cast doubt on the film’s profitability before the opening weekend was even over. Even with a $61 million global debut, the article stated that “profitability remains a ways away.”
Black films of any genre face this problem, and rom-coms, though popular, rarely follow two non-white leads, not to mention black leads. Plus, in an era of IP-driven films, studios hesitate to greenlight original films in general.
Unfortunately, this means You, Me & Tuscany is already fighting an uphill battle even before its release, as it has the distinction of being all three: an original, black-led, romantic comedy.
Hollywood has always been cautious about the films it makes, looking at the success of prior films before making others like it. But despite theater-goers expressing their desire for original films over endless remakes and sequels, studios are still reluctant to give original films a chance.
In an era where social media platforms are constantly vying for consumers’ attention, Hollywood is still making an effort to restore theater attendance post-COVID, and franchises seem to be the best way to guarantee a return on studios’ investments.
But it seems that black-led films are held to a higher standard than films where the director or lead actors are of a different race. Instead of being judged on their own merits, the fate of future black films relies heavily on the success of the one film. Many online have pointed out the double standard, one post saying, “…if ONE black romcom fails the careers of multiple black filmmakers will be hit…white romcoms can fail, and they will still make new ones.”
Will Packer, a producer of You, Me & Tuscany, spoke out as well.
That’s not to say You, Me & Tuscany can’t or won’t be successful. Despite the double standard, black films have always been profitable.
Sinners, for example, was an original, black-led horror film that went back to theaters multiple times, and earned 19 Oscar nominations–the most in Oscars’ history. There is also the increased nostalgia online for the era of romantic comedies during the 1990s and 2000s, which studios could be tapping into.
The public has more than proven it’s ready for a change. Now it’s up to Hollywood to respond.
Being an original, black-led, rom-com might seem like three strikes against the film, but these are actually three merits in favor of it because these are all things people want to see. Nina Lee’s thread on X is not just a call to see this particular film; it’s a call for the audience to use its power to influence the kinds of movies Hollywood makes, and the audience has more power than it realizes.
That being said, You, Me & Tuscany, starring Halle Bailey and Regé-Jean Page, will release in theaters on April 10, 2026. Let’s go out and support!
