Lena Dunham Is Happy for Netflix Rom-Com ‘Good Sex' to Skip Theatrical Release: ‘I Don't Think This Will Live or Die By That'

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2 days ago

Lena Dunham isn't just making a comeback with her Megan Stalter-starring Netflix romantic comedy series 'Too Much' — she also has a movie she wrote and is directing set to premiere on the platform, and starring Oscar-winner Natalie Portman. In fact, it would appear that Netflix really wanted 'Good Sex,' also a rom-com which co-stars genre stalwart Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, and Rashida Jones. After all, the streamer paid a reported $55 million for it.
Dunham, though, isn't precious about the movie forgoing a theatrical release to go straight to the platform. To her, that's someone else's battle.
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'I really just want people to sit on a couch with their moms and their besties and lean in,' she said in an interview with Variety. 'I love watching other filmmakers fight for the theatrical-release element — but I don't think this will live or die by that.'
'Good Sex' went into production this month, so a release date is still very much pending. Tucker Pillsbury, known to the music scene as rapper Role Model, will make his film debut in the movie. 'He had this humor and essence that really felt like rom-com gold,' Dunham said, describing finding him on her shadow TikTok account. 'He's giving early Brad Pitt, like when you saw him in 'Thelma & Louise.''
In a nod to her late friend and romcom queen writer/director Nora Ephron, Dunham was excited to get Ryan on board. She pitched the movie to Ryan when they both attended Taylor Swift's London stop on the Eras tour. 'I decided, it's now or never, and I'm going to shoot my shot. She couldn't be a lovelier person,' Dunham related. 'Shout-out Taylor — thank you for that. She brings everyone together; she makes the world go round.'
Ryan has been slowly raising her profile once again, after a fairly stagnant period without much mainstream action. In February, she appeared in a much-discussed Hellmann's Mayo Super Bowl commercial with Billy Crystal that lampooned undoubtedly her most famous movie moment from 'When Harry Met Sally.' Two years ago, Ryan made her own stab at writing/directing a romantic comedy with the small-scale theatrical release 'What Happens Later' alongside David Duchovny.
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