Kat Coiro’s “You, Me & Tuscany” premiered to controversy this weekend, alongside  pre-release Twitter debates and box office pressure which made it one of the most anticipated films this month. An original, Black, romantic comedy film, starring Bridgerton heart throb Regé-Jean Page and Disney princess Halle Bailey, produced by Will Packer, hitting the mainstream screens for the first time since 2012’s Think Like a Man?! Sign me up! But why have we had to wait so long for Black romance on the big screen when White mediocrity has remained a shoo-in?

Though it is certainly not the first of its kind, the film’s representation of the Black community in a light-hearted and romantic light has felt monumental. Amidst an attractive cast, picturesque views, and humorous, albeit cliché, lessons about life, love, and Italians, Page and Bailey give a flirty, vulnerable look at love. However, the pressure around the film, and others like it, almost tainted the experience for me and, it seems, for others.

Ahead of the film’s release, award-winning filmmaker Nina Lee took to X to share her recurring battle in the industry. 

Stuck in what she calls “post-production limbo,” her wrapped rom-com starring Coco Jones, Kountry Wayne, Emmy Raver-Lampman, and Loretta Devine waits on bated breath for public and critical response to “You, Me & Tuscany”.

Responsible for "Nappily Ever After" press for Netflix and short films like “ARTISTIC,” Lee’s growth from a student film at Spelman College to Hollywood has garnered her connections. But, to Hollywood executives, Lee and those who look like her clearly still have something to prove, particularly in the romance genre.

This comes in sharp contrast to A24’s buzzy new romance film, “The Drama", starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya. The romantic drama starring two famous leads of fairer skin tones, one of whom is Black, has also been in conversation within the Black community, looking to support Black representation on screen.

At its premiere two weekends ago, the film’s three-day total grossed $8.7 million in the United States. Since then, it's grown to $30 million domestically over the last two weekends, showing signs of a well-received promise. ‘“You, Me, and Tuscany”’s three-day total rivals ‘“The Drama” at $8 million domestically, projected to best “Anyone But You”'s premiere and long-term performance, according to Screen Rant. 

The 2023 box-office hit starring Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney blew projections out of the water, sparking dating rumours and the help of the holiday season as catalysts. Even without those aids, Page and Bailey are carrying their weight against tough competition. “Project Hail Mary”, “The Super Mario Galaxy”, and “The Drama” are ahead of the film in box office statistics, with the likes of “Michael” and “The Devil Wears Prada 2” to follow in the weekends ahead. All the while, projections for the film are set to beat out the rumours that Black romance films simply can’t compete.

With this in mind, it’s important to note that every other film on this list is dispelled from the same deck of cards that Coiro’s latest has been dealt. Talk around the industry about the film being a litmus test not only entertains the idea that Black people should only be seen in a certain light, but also enforces the systemic oppression Black people worldwide find themselves victims of. When the Black community creates, the Black community shares and shows up, without any onus on other communities to reinforce the importance of these stories. Ultimately, carrying the loaded success or failure of the creation.

The film’s producer, Will Packer, affirmed this in conversation with Variety, saying, “Hollywood watches and then they react. Hollywood will react to the audiences more so than audiences realize; they have the power to dictate what’s made in Hollywood.”

Films like “Michael” feature the infamous story of an icon and legend, with an intimate feel as Jaafar Jackson’s debut is not only personal to the Black community, but the world. “Anyone But You”’s unspoken excuse of Whiteness allows a predictably regular reenactment of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” that bears no leading questions about the next actor’s race or the next film’s plot. Even criticism of Zendaya’s performance in an unconventional, rom-com drama film has been subject to conversation about racial scrutiny, amidst its praise as the best role of her career.

Regardless of the noise, the power remains in showing up and letting the money do the talking. Until every role or storyline shifts the goal post in favour of Nina Lees and the Black community. 

In an interview with The British Blacklist, Page spoke about how the reflection of black men in love, confidently, empowers and allows others to do the same. Bailey echoed his enthusiasm in representing her community through joyous, fun roles and hopes to see more. 

So for those who need proof that these stories should be told, the proof is in the cinemas, the comments, and the discourse. ‍

Cover Credit: Essence Magazine via Giulia Parmigiani