“What we were finding was that every quarter, there was a movie that would beat tracking,” Ryan says, referring to the test-screening scores studios use to gauge wider interest in a film. “People would say, ‘Man, we never saw this coming.’ Get Out is a great example. Crazy Rich Asians is another.” Even Hustlers, Ryan points out, exceeded financial expectations. But Proximity’s founders believe that the success of these films should have been predictable, largely because they have multiple “hooks,” something they talk about frequently. In the case of Hustlers, there’s Jennifer Lopez, con artists and criminals, and Cardi B in a strip club.
“These movies made popcorn money,” Ryan says, “but there was still something sticky there, something that challenges you or brings you closer. So we started to wonder if maybe this could be our lane.”