BuzzFeed Studios just dropped a bombshell at Cannes: Marriage Material. It’s a bold new romantic comedy starring Emma Roberts and…famously canceled comedian Matt Rife, for some reason.
Directed by Pitch Perfect 3’s Trish Sie and penned by Ben Agron and Brandon Feldman, the film promises “fiercely funny” energy with a modern twist on love, per BuzzFeed Studios president Richard Alan Reid, as reported by Variety.
But while Roberts is a rom-com staple with hits like Holidate and Space Cadet, the internet has one burning question: Is Matt Rife a red flag for rom-com fans?
The film’s plot follows a dating app founder whose messy divorce (and the alimony that comes with it) is threatening her startup. Her last-ditch effort? Use her own app to find a new wife for her ex.
It’s a snappy premise, but it’s Rife’s real-life rep that has us raising eyebrows.
Matt Rife’s controversy shadows his rom-com debut
Rife is no stranger to headlines, and not the good kind.
His 2023 Netflix special (Natural Selection) opened with a domestic violence joke that sparked online outrage. And guess what? It was, in turn, the backlash that made Matt Rife better known to people globally. Oh, how the tables turned!
In response to the backlash, Matt Rife linked to a helmet shop for people with special needs in his Instagram Story.
Many saw this move as doubling down rather than apologizing.
In a later interview with The New Yorker, Rife defended his comedy, saying, “Sometimes people need to laugh to heal.” He even claimed that “hundreds of victims of domestic violence” had reached out in support.
Matt Rife also cited Dave Chappelle’s advice: “Don’t f–kin’ give in. It doesn’t matter what you do. If you apologize, you still lost.”
Matt Rife’s material was heartbreaking, particularly among the women who had helped fuel his TikTok clout. Women shot Matt Rife to fame, and the minute he secured a comedy special on Netflix, he went ahead and betrayed them.
And now he’s starring in a romantic comedy. And it is one with Emma Roberts, a millennial rom-com queen whose recent projects are consistently woman-forward. Fans are split: Can Rife play a romantic lead without reminding audiences of the misogynistic baggage he’s dragging behind?
Will Emma Roberts be able to save this movie?
Emma Roberts has built a career on charm, self-awareness, and a bit of edge.
From Scream Queens to Holidate, she’s delivered performances that let audiences laugh at modern love without feeling talked down to.
She’s also a producer on Marriage Material, which suggests she believes in the project. And, as it happens to be…in Matt Rife.
But fans aren’t sure the chemistry will fly. Rife just doesn’t give leading man energy. He gives red flag. And in a genre where the audience’s love is everything, rom-com leads can’t risk coming off as divisive, can they?
Still, Marriage Material may surprise us.
Rife is also set to appear alongside Owen Wilson in Rolling Loud, another comedy aimed at pushing his crossover appeal. Maybe Roberts can help steer the ship and the narrative.
Either way, Marriage Material will be a litmus test for how far audiences are willing to go when a rom-com lead comes with controversy.
