In April 2012, a romantic comedy with a mostly Black ensemble cast did what few people in Hollywood expected: it opened at No. 1. Think Like a Man, adapted from Steve Harvey’s bestselling relationship book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, took in about $33.6 million in its first weekend, ending the four-week reign of The Hunger Games.
Directed by Tim Story, the film followed a group of women who use Harvey’s advice to outmaneuver the men in their lives, with a cast that included Kevin Hart, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, Michael Ealy, Gabrielle Union and Romany Malco. Hart, playing a freshly divorced friend who can’t stop talking, stole nearly every scene.
Made for about $12 million, it went on to earn roughly $91.5 million in the U.S. and $113 million worldwide, and spawned a sequel in 2014. For Hart, it was proof that his stand-up stardom could carry over to the big screen.
Sources: The Numbers.
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