'Father of the Bride' Broke HBO Max's Streaming-Only Record. Here's Why. The streamer launched in Latin America last year.
By Amanda Breen
A fresh take on the 1991 romantic comedy classic Father of the Bride is winning over viewers across the globe. The reboot, distributed by Warner Bros. and directed by Gary Alazraki, set a new streaming-only film record for HBO Max, Deadline reported.
The Latino-led film, which stars Andy García and Gloria Estefan as the bride's parents, premiered on June 16, and in the first four days since its launch, has soared to the No. 1 title spot across HBO Max worldwide. It also was among the top 10 most-watched title launches on HBO Max in Mexico to-date based on that same period.
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In the film, Cuban American architect and father Billy Herrera (García) and his wife of many years, Ingrid (Estefan), are on the cusp of divorcing when he learns that his oldest daughter Sofía (Adria Arjona) intends to wed her Mexican fiancé, Adán Castillo (Diego Boneta). How did the film, written by Max Lopez, manage to make the romantic comedy/wedding genre appeal anew to audiences across the globe?
Part of the answer lies in the thoughtfulness of the film itself. "It's done with respect and in a way that avoids typical stereotypes for an easy laugh. It focuses on the love and the extended family, and the things that bring us together as different Latino cultures," Estefan told MSNBC's "Morning Joe."
But it also comes down to a strategic play by HBO Max, which launched in Latin America in June 2021 and aims to establish a larger audience in the region. Father of the Bride's focus on family ties and the merging of cultural traditions successfully attracted viewers, and the release coinciding with Father's Day weekend no doubt gave it an extra boost.
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Specific ratings for Father of the Bride have yet to be made public, but according to Samba TV, which collects data from 3 million U.S. terrestrial TV households, The Batman is HBO Max's biggest theatrical title to date, with 4.1 million households tuning in over the course of its first week, though the film was not exclusive to the streamer.
Additionally, HBO Max coming-of-age series Gordita Chronicles will premiere on Thursday, June 23, 2022. From Sony Pictures with executive producers including Eva Longoria and Zoe Saldana, the series takes place in 1985 and follows Cucu "Gordita" Castelli, played by Olivia Goncalves, after she leaves her friends and family in Santo Domingo and adjusts to her new life in Miami.
