A 2008 Katherine Heigl Rom-Com Flop Finds Netflix Success 16 Years Later

Everything eventually comes full circle in pop culture. Viewers will return time and time again to their favorite movies and TV shows, which could be why this 2008 romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl is thriving on Netflix years after its initial release.

After earning overwhelming fame and acclaim — plus an Emmy — for playing Dr. Isobel "Izzie" Stevens on the uber-popular medical drama "Grey's Anatomy," the actor showed up in a string of rom-coms, including "Knocked Up" (a role Heigl once regretted taking), "The Ugly Truth," "Killers," and "Life As We Know It" (in 2007, 2009, and 2010, respectively). Still, "27 Dresses," which also stars Malin Akerman, James Marsden, Judy Greer, and Edward Burns, is one of the most beloved projects in Heigl's filmography. While it may have flopped with critics upon its release, the film scored over $150 million at the box office, and long after it hit theaters, Netflix viewers are showing it some love on the streaming service, so much so that the movie made an emphatic splash on the streaming platform's top 10, taking 6th place in early March.

So why is "27 Dresses" emerging as a hit again, sixteen years after it came out? What's the movie about, and what has Katherine Heigl been doing since she starred in it?

The premise of "27 Dresses" is definitely a little outlandish, but the gist will be pretty familiar to anyone who's ever donned a pastel dress adorned with a giant bow over the butt. Jane (Katherine Heigl) hasn't just been a bridesmaid a handful of times — she's stood next to brides on their big day a whopping 27 times, held their bouquets, and solved problems for them on their big days. Throughout all of it, Jane pines for her boss, George (Edward Burns), who, in return, is completely oblivious. Unfortunately for Jane, George ends up falling for the worst possible person — Jane's spoiled, self-centered sister Tess (Malin Akerman), who lies about her interests and past in order to woo George.

Naturally, Jane is Tess' maid of honor, which sends her into a mental tailspin — and along the way, she meets journalist Kevin (James Marsden), who starts plotting a story centered around Jane's status as a perpetual bridesmaid. When that story does drop, Jane feels completely betrayed by Kevin, for whom she's clearly developed feelings. When Tess and George split after all her lies are revealed, it seems like Jane might finally get to be with George after all. As it turns out, though, Jane isn't in love with George; she's in love with Kevin, and when those two get married, all 27 brides serve as Jane's bridesmaids.

After that extraordinary run in romantic comedies in the late aughts, Katherine Heigl took some well-deserved time off and started a family with her husband, musician Josh Kelley. The last several years have seen the performer hit the small-screen comeback trail; it's fitting that "27 Dresses" is making a splash on Netflix specifically, considering that it's home to her biggest project as of late.

Critical and commercial flops like "One for the Money" and "Home Sweet Hell" plagued Heigl's career for a while, as well as a "difficult" reputation that stemmed from on-set issues on both "Knocked Up" and "Grey's Anatomy" — but she eventually mounted a return to the small screen on hits like "Suits" and short-lived shows like "State of Affairs." Most notably, Heigl led the Netflix original series "Firefly Lane" alongside Sarah Chalke ("Scrubs," "How I Met Your Mother") as the strong-willed famous talk-show host Tully Hart, best friend to the much meeker Kate Mularkey (Chalke). The series ran for two seasons, adapting Kristin Hannah's book of the same name, which earned solid reviews and marked a resurgence for Heigl. The actress also reunited with other original "Grey's Anatomy" cast members, including star Ellen Pompeo, for an appearance at the Emmy Awards in January.

Fans of the "27 Dresses" star may also be interested in learning why Heigl left "Grey's Anatomy" and what that meant for the show's writers handling Izzie's exit and resolution.