Billy Eichner has a important darling on his palms with “Bros,” the brand new romantic comedy boasting an all-gay solid that he co-wrote and stars in. However the movie’s field workplace numbers left lots to be desired, because it solely earned $4.8 million in its opening weekend regardless of robust evaluations following its premiere on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant. Eichner then made headlines when he attributed the disappointing numbers to homophobia and his perception that “straight folks simply didn’t present up.”
However because it seems, the state of affairs is a little more sophisticated. Showing on stage on the New Yorker Pageant on Friday evening, Eichner spoke extra in regards to the movie’s field workplace failure whereas including some nuance to his controversial tweet.
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“There’s a number of elements to it,” Eichner stated. “To open this film, on this many theaters, a rom-com in 2022 — there are rom-coms with mega-stars which wrestle on the field workplace, and a number of the largest comedy stars are taking their films to streaming. And for good purpose! That appears to be the place folks wish to watch these films. I nonetheless love seeing these films within the theater.”
Whereas Eichner acknowledged that there have been many causes past homophobia that made the movie a monetary threat, he nonetheless emphasised that the subject material may have been seen as taboo in elements of the nation the place homosexual tradition is much less omnipresent.
“I feel that is, for some audiences — not for homosexual folks — however for some audiences, difficult subject material,” he stated. “Common, to their credit score, was very daring in how they framed the film in trailers; there was a number of homosexual intercourse within the trailers, and a few folks love that, some folks aren’t shocked by that in any respect, it seem to be one thing they have a look at each day on their telephones — — and in some elements of the nation, like I stated in my very controversial tweet, there actually was a theater chain within the south and within the midwest that known as Common over the summer season and stated ‘we’re not taking part in this trailer.’ We stay in a divided nation in that means, and it depends upon the place you reside.”
Whereas the comic stands by his unique declare that homophobia was an element within the movie’s lackluster field workplace haul, he additionally understands that the homosexual group has larger battles to battle than getting straight folks to see his film.
“Homophobia is an even bigger drawback than the way it pertains to this foolish rom-com,” he stated. “However do I feel it’s an element? Sure, in sure elements of the nation, I feel it was an element. Although, to be trustworthy, we actually didn’t make the film for homophobes anyway. That is an R-rated homosexual rom-com. It was by no means meant as a film to attempt to persuade individuals who don’t like homosexual those that we’re regular, and delicate, and cuddly, and okay to like. It’s so not that film. So it’s sophisticated, and I actually discover the entire thing to be very foolish if you take a hen’s-eye view of all of it — it’s only a comedy.”
“Bros” is now taking part in in theaters.
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