Tina Feyis, besides Lorne Michaels, the definitiveSaturday Night Livepersonality. Whether it’s her time onWeekend Update, her incredible writing skills, or her intermittent cameos in subsequent years since her departure, Fey represents the heart ofSNL. But it’s not just that sketch show where Fey has excelled, as she also created, wrote, and starred in30 Rock, a show that gave a pseudo look into the creation of anSNLepisode.
And, while Fey has made her biggest mark on television, she’s also built up a solid filmography over time. The following films are her highest-grossing, from would-be franchise starters to rom-coms. All specific financial information wasprovided by Box Office Mojo.
10This Is Where I Leave You (2014) — $34.3 Million
This is Where I Leave You
Shawn Levy’sThis Is Where I Leave Youis an admirable attempt at adapting Jonathan Tropper’s novel, but more often than not it comes across as saccharine, not sincere,and critics responded negatively. An ensemble piece, the narrative primarily spends time with four siblings (Fey, Jason Bateman, Corey Stoll, and Adam Driver), all of whom sit shiva for their departed father. But there’s also their mother, old flames, and a priest who grew up with a crass nickname.
How Much Did It Make?
With a budget of just under $20 million,This Is Where I Leave Youneeded about $60 million to hit profitability after marketing. It generated only $43 million worldwide, and didn’t generate enough chatter to become a big hit on rentals and streaming services.
Stream it on Netflix
9A Haunting in Venice (2023) — $42.3 Million
A Haunting in Venice
The third (and probably final) Agatha Christie adaptation from Kenneth Branagh,A Haunting in Venicetells a slightly smaller tale thanMurder on the Orient ExpressorDeath on the Nile. Branagh’s Hercule Poirot is dragged into a new mystery by his old friend, Ariadne Oliver (Fey). But, when the mystery is derailed by a séance, Poirot begins suspecting that he’s being used for a coverup.
While 2022’sDeath on the Nileand 2023’sA Haunting in Venicehave avoided being called bombs, they still didn’t perform quite as well as 2017’sMurder on the Orient Express. That film hit the big screen with a relatively slim (given the cast) budget of $55 million and earned $352.8 million for its trouble.Nileperformed the worst of the three with $137 million against a price tag of at least $90 million. This madeA Haunting in Venice’s $120 million against $60 million both a rebound and a victory, if only a minor one.
Stream it on Hulu
8Muppets Most Wanted (2014) — $51.2 Million
Muppets Most Wanted
Muppets Most Wantedfollows the titular stuffed characters as they go on a world tour to boost their dwindling popularity. Along the way, they meet lots of wild folks, including Fey’s Nadya, a Gulag prison guard with a particular love for Kermit the Frog.
2011’s catchy song-filledThe Muppetspulled in $165 million against a $45 million price tag, making it a solid hit for the holiday season. March 2014’s globe-trottingMuppets Most Wanted, however, had a slightly upped budget of $50 million and could only pull in $80 million worldwide.
Stream it on Disney+
7Baby Mama (2008) — $60.5 Million
Baby Mamatells the story of Kate (Fey), a woman reaching middle age who is desperate to procreate. Unfortunately for her, not only is she single, but she’s unable to procreate, so she seeks a surrogate. Too bad the one she gets is so irresponsible.
Baby Mamaisn’t exactly a set piece-laden film, but it still had a relatively high (for a comedy) $30 million budget. The film doubled that figure, making it a minor success, but it was always going to be a movie that played well on cable and streaming over time.
6Mean Girls (2004) — $86 Million
Mean Girls
Written solely by Fey,Mean Girlswas a phenomenal boost to the comedy icon’s resume. The cult favorite follows Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan), a formerly-homeschooled teen who has just entered public high school. Fortunately for her, the popular girls, AKA The Plastics, have embraced her. Unfortunately for her, the head of The Plastics, Regina Georgia, is a spiteful, vindictive monster.
Mean Girls' $17 million budget allowed it some space to breathe as a wide release. At that figure, it would need about $50 million to reach profitability and, with $130 million worldwide, Fey’s film was a big hit.
Stream it on fuboTV, Paramount+, Showtime
5Sisters (2015) — $87 Million
Reteaming seven years afterBaby Mama,Sistershas Fey and Poehler playing Kate and Maure Ellis, siblings of two very different maturity levels. When the duo learns that their parents intend to sell their childhood home, the irresponsible Kate and ever-reserved Maura decide to experience the old days one last time.
At $30 million, the second cinematic pairing of Fey and Poehler (not includingMean Girls) cost exactly as much asBaby Mama. But, whereas that film only doubled its production budget,Sistersmore than tripled it to the tune of $105 million worldwide.
Stream it on Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu
4Date Night (2010) — $98.7 Million
Date Night
Fey and Steve Carell took a break from, respectively,30 RockandThe Officeto team up for aDate Night. They star as a married couple who have settled into boredom and decide to go to a fancy restaurant. Unfortunately, it’s packed, so they claim to be a couple who had made reservations. Unfortunately, that leads to a case of mistaken identity that may cost the couple their lives.
Certainly Fey’s most high-profile live-action film released up to that point,Date Nightscored nearly $100 million domestic and a further $53 million from overseas venues. Considering the laugh and action-filled night from Hell cost only $55 million to produce, that’s a figure studio heads smile at.
Stream it on Max and Paramount+
3Free Guy (2021) — $121.6 Million
TheMean Girlsmastermind can briefly be heard during2021’s hit action comedyFree Guyas a mom vacuuming in the hallway as her son yells at a video game. And video games are whatFree Guyis all about, as the plot follows the title character as he realizes he’s a non-playable characterwithina video game. And his world is coming to an end.
A mixed-messages marketing campaign (that was rectified towards the end of its roll-out) couldn’t keepFree Guyfrom becoming a big success. With a budget of at most $125 million, the cinematic roller coaster ride generated almost $122 million domestically and about $210 million overseas, making it a bit of an unexpected hit at the box office. And, considering it’s the type of movie that will have longevity when it comes to at-home viewing, those millions are just icing on the profitability cake.
Stream it on Disney+ and fuboTV
2Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013) — $127.4 Million
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Fey had a bit role in the third act battle ofAnchorman 2: The Legend Continuesas an Entertainment Tonight Reporter. The plot of the sequel again follows Ron Burgundy and his crew, but now they have to exist in a further developing entertainment industry where white men are falling out of favor.
As far as comedy movie budgets go, $50 million is pretty high. But,Anchorman 2is also a continuation of a pre-existing IP, and that means contract re-negotiations. Yet, even with the high price tag, the sequel netted nearly $175 million worldwide, an impressive figure.
Every Adam McKay Movie, Ranked
The director has gone from insanely funny to dramatically prescient, so let’s see how his filmography stacks up.
Stream it on Netflix and Paramount+
1Megamind (2010) — $148.4 Million
DreamWorks Animation’sMegamindfollows the super-evil title character (voiced by Will Ferrell) as he uses every poor invention his mind can create to take over Metro City. It never works out. And now that an actually formidable villain has entered the fray, Megamind sees an opportunity to revise his public image and become well-known in a more heroic light.
Released the same year as the very similarDespicable Me,Megamindmay have been a comparative disappointment at the box office, but it’s Fey’s most successful film nonetheless. With $148 million domestic and $173.5 million internationally, it did fine on a $130 million budget. Not spectacularly, but fine.
Stream it on Netflix and The Roku Channel
