Bros opened last Thursday/Friday to across-the-board glowing reviews and a lot of great buzz. It didn’t help its opening weekend box office though – Bros failed to even make the top-three at the box office, taking home $4.8 million in its debut weekend. Now, Bros only cost $22 million to make, so worst case scenario, the film will probably break even. Bros is the first-ever explicitly gay rom-com, with an almost exclusively LGBTQ cast and crew, co-written by a gay man (Billy Eichner), with two gay actors/romantic leads (Eichner and Luke Macfarlane) and… directed by a straight dude. Still, the film landed with a thud and that’s a bad sign for the future of mainstream LGBTQ films. Billy Eichner blames homophobia:
Actor Billy Eichner didn’t hold back when taking to Twitter on Sunday to comment on the dismal box office opening of his new comedy, Bros. The Universal film — which marks the first gay romantic comedy released by a major Hollywood studio — debuted to a dismal $4.8 million after doing little business in much of middle America and the south.
“Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast! And it is special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often. I love this movie so much. GO BROS!!!,” tweeted Eichner.
Universal has stayed in the comedy business, even as the genre struggles theatrically and increasingly becomes the purview of streaming. Among the studios longtime partners are Bros producer Judd Apatow and director-writer Nicholas Stoller, who helmed the film. The studio was lauded for taking on the project and Bros was embraced by critics following its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival. It presently boasts a glowing 95 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences also liked it, giving it an A CinemaScore.
Yet the opening was even worse than expected. Heading into the weekend, tracking had suggested it could earn between $8 million to $10 million.
“Rolling Stone already has BROS on the list of the best comedies of the 21st century,” Eichner said in the same twitter thread. “What’s also true is that at one point a theater chain called Universal and said they were pulling the trailer because of the gay content. (Uni convinced them not to). America, f–k yeah, etc etc.”
Bros‘ top 10 markets were all in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. It did decent business in other several other major cities, including Chicago. Otherwise, it has been a bust so far.
Eichner himself went to an L.A. cinema on Saturday night. “Last night I snuck in and sat in the back of a sold out theater playing BROS in LA. The audience howled with laughter start to finish, burst into applause at the end, and some were wiping away tears as they walked out. It was truly magical. Really. I am VERY proud of this movie,” he tweeted.
Eichner’s tweets sound a bit desperate, but I don’t blame him for tweeting that stuff – he knows how much was riding on Bros and he knows that the disappointing box office has larger repercussions for mainstream LGBTQ films. Of course homophobia played a part in the box office. I would argue that Hurricane Ian also played a part? Literally, from Friday through Sunday, the South, mid-Atlantic and all up and down the East Coast were dealing with Ian as the hurricane became a tropical cyclone and then there was water and wind everywhere. People on the East Coast stayed home because the weather was lousy, I’m just saying.
Besides all that, surely the model for modern romantic-comedy theatrical releases is based more on word-of-mouth and long-term box office? Bros is not a Marvel movie, people aren’t going to go out of their way to show up on opening weekend. They’ll show up three weeks from now because their gay coworker raved about it.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA – APRIL 28: American actor Billy Eichner arrives at the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards 2022 held at Omnia Nightclub at Caesars Palace during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners on April 28, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.,Image: 687083596, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Billy Eichner, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Billy Eichner arrives the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 05, 2022 in Santa Monica, California,Image: 697305422, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Billy Eichner, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- SANTA MONICA, CA – JUNE 05: Billy Eichner attends the 2022 MTV Movie & TV Awards at Barker Hangar on June 05, 2022 in Santa Monica, California.,Image: 697495686, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Billy Eichner, Credit line: Jeffrey Mayer / Avalon
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- NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, USA – AUGUST 28: Billy Eichner arrives at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Prudential Center on August 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey, United States.,Image: 717362859, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Billy Eichner, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, USA – AUGUST 28: Billy Eichner arrives at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Prudential Center on August 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey, United States.,Image: 717362865, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Billy Eichner, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
I love Billy and was planning to see it on Saturday but the weather was so crappy my friend and I postponed until this Saturday.
In the same boat as you. Wanted to see it this weekend but the weather sucked so I’m planning to go next weekend. BUT, it’s only playing in my city till Thursday at one indie theater. So I have to drive 30 miles out to the burbs to see it this weekend. And I live in a major metropolitan area on the East coast. This makes me wonder how many theaters are showing this movie. :/
Same. Love him, dying to see it, but between the crummy weather and the fact that I’m getting over the flu, I stayed home last weekend. Hoping to see it soon.
I honestly cant remember the last time i went to watch a rom com at the theatre even pre pandemic. I think people save their coins for movies that really warrant a big screen theatre experience these days. The last movies i have gone to watch have been Marvel, Fast and Furious and Tenet. The days of going to watch romance or dramas even thrillers at the theatre are gone.
Same. This is the kind of movie people watch on streaming services these days. Movie tickets in my area are $20+ each. I ain’t pay that much to see a cute but ultimately formulaic rom com.
I had not heard of Bros until just now and that title would not make me want to see it, sorry.
I watched Confess, Fletch last night (at home) and it was a cute comedy with John Hamm. It apparently was released in theaters too (I also hadn’t heard of it before googling what movies to stream this weekend) and it completely bombed. Nothing to do with homophobia, Billy.
Confess, Fletch was great! Perfect streaming movie for a relaxed at-home night. I didn’t realize it went to theatres, I hadn’t even heard of it until my husband suggested it.
I wonder if part of the problem is that the audience (esp. older, non-LGBT) that would go see this is still covid-cautious and prefers streaming? I will 100% watch this on streaming – just like Fire Island, which was great – but al not going to sit in a theatre for it – or most movies honestly (I did see Top Gun in theatres because that felt like a “big screen” movie)
That’s just you, though. I am sick of Marvel, so if I have to watch it (because my husband likes it), I’ll wait until it’s streaming, because I can stomach it for free on my couch, but not for $40 at the movie theater.
I would, however, schlepp to the movies for a really good chick flick because I can make it an event with my girlfriends, or for a brainy drama, because I can go with my intellectual friends and then have dinner and great conversation.
Yeah I’m not paying for a rom com in the theater. I’ll pay for it on streaming, I’m just not going to a theater for it.
Yup. I’m excited to see this and I’m a big fan of Billy’s, but rom coms are for streaming on the couch in your pjs with snacks. I might make and effort to get out and see this one, though, knowing how much is riding on it.
Agreed. There’s no such thing as cheap movie tickets anymore. I used to go all the time when it was $5 weekend matinees and now they’re $14. It’s over $20 a ticket if you go to see it any other time.
Billy Eichner threw so much shade at the last gay romcom that was released on streaming, Fire Island. He said Bros was a real movie not thrown on some platform somewhere. Lol.
I’m experiencing some schadenfreude I admit.
I saw it and enjoyed it.
Its a hard sell for straight men though. It was 95% women when I went.
100% agree. I want to see it but I know my husband would SQUIRM and hate me if I got him to go. It’s disappointing to say the least.
Wouldn’t that be true of most rom-coms? I would not expect straight men to be their target audience.
I’m a straight guy and into film (my fav actors/directors tend towards gay or bi guys ironically- James Dean, Monty Clift, Nick Ray), this wouldn’t have caught my interest in a million years for numerous seasons. First because Billy Eichner is a little grating. The majority of his career he’s been yelling at people. I’m not investing in him emotionally at all like that. Nor is he at all charismatic enough to be a lead. And I’ve never even heard of the other guy. Rom coms are shallow, this one sounds especially so. And the whole premise of this isn’t even getting into anything interesting. In fact it sounds oddly self-hating itself for today’s times. The “funny” is he has to pretend to be a bro? Um that might have worked in 2012 but it’s 2022. This just isn’t a relatable premise anymore.
Unsurprising I see Judd Apatow is tied to this. So that kind of makes it all make sense as to why it completely misses the mark of interesting and sounds so dated.
Yeah, I saw Fire Island (which also is an explicitly gay rom-com with a gay cast and production so not sure about Bros’ claim there) a couple of months later due to word of mouth.
Almost nothing is must-see when we know there’s probably a deal where it will also be streaming within a month. Studios need to recalibrate the weight of opening weekend box office.
The claim is true. Fire Island went straight to streaming and was made for that purpose. Bros is the first gay rom-com, gay cast to be shown in theaters, which is why it is such a huge deal.
It’s not a claim by Bros, there is a mistake in the Celebitchy article. Bros is not the first gay rom com (I have seen dozens) but the first one to be released by a major Hollywood studio.
I don’t think it will have negative repercussions for LGBTQ, I just think that folks don’t want to see older LGBTQ in film. That genre seems to be driven by young people and white women. I could be wrong. But I feel for Billy because he seemed to put his heart into this film.
Honestly, they should have dropped that great trailer just before opening. When I know I want to see it, but have to wait months before it’s in the theater, why not just wait a bit longer to see it at home?
All the publicity and social media chat comes from the trailer drop, not the it’s opening on Friday news.
The theatrical model of movies sitting around unreleased while being hyped in the media has been a problem since the beginning of the internet era. You hear about it while you can’t see it, silence when it’s actually in the theater.
This is the same box office pattern Booksmart had. Maybe we’ll see a totally messy train wreck from Billy next go around!
Exactly. This whole model of releasing a great trailer and then forcing people to wait for weeks or months to watch the actual movie was creaky even pre-pandemic.
I get why “Bros” wanted to be released in actual theaters; the makers of “Crazy Rich Asians” turned down a small fortune from Netflix for the same reasons. But it’s a new pandemic-era world, and as others have said already, almost no one wants to go to the theaters anymore unless it’s a big E-ticket thing.
Even My Big Fat Greek Wedding was a sleeper. You have to give rom coms time.
There is also huge fragmentation in media. This is literally the first I’m hearing of it.
And there are a lot of movies competing for attention this time of year. Heck, I spent a good twenty minutes this weekend just catching up on what new horror movies are coming out–or are out. And I only saw a couple of Bros ads on Bravo-type channels and the like…none on the networks. Between that and the horrible weather, it wound up a movie I’ll catch on streaming.
I’d like to see this, but I didn’t leave my house all weekend and am working from home today due to the weather/flooding.
It’s possible that word of mouth, and better weather on the highly populated east coast, might give the film some legs to earn well for a few weeks, rather than just a big BO opening. And it may do well with online purchase/renting too.
I don’t doubt there are homophobes making this more difficult, but it may be premature to say it’s a flop.
I am puzzled as to why he thought straight men would be flocking to this film? Maybe some were taken by their girlfriends but straight guys don’t normally go to see Romantic Comedies under any circumstances. Also since this seems like a very white film I would say he is expecting a straight white male audience to support it based on his statement. That was never going to fly I think.
I hate rom-coms lol. The last one I saw had Julia Roberts in it post theater. That’s how long its been. Would I like them better with men? Nope. Watching people fall in love gives me hives. I’m truly sorry for my character flaws lol. Romantic comedies and musicals. Shoot me now.
LOL! You are not alone. I’d rather have acidic diarrhea than be forced to watch a musical.
SAME! And I’m torn on this because on one hand I do feel it’s important to support films like this, but on the other hand….me forcing myself to go to a movie I know I’m going to hate (I cannot overstate my dislike of dramas and rom coms, I find absolutely no entertainment value in the genres) for the sole purpose of showing support feels…weird. If I enjoyed the genre I’d likely feel different, but I don’t. I just wonder if the intended audience isn’t as big as he thinks it is.
I’m not a homophobic weirdo, but I haven’t seen it – I haven’t gone to a movie theater in years, now. Many of us are concerned about the pandemic (whatever “it’s all okay now!” messaging we are receiving) and that doesn’t have a reflection on this movie. And to the writer’s point, there was tons of fallout from a devastating hurricane.
I don’t plan on seeing it now, after those tweets- rude and pushy at best, accusatory at worst.
I’d also like to point out that not everyone loves rom coms. I’m sure there are homophobes who don’t want to watch it, but I have trouble believing that makes up the majority of viewership. God forbid people prefer suspense, horror, drama, foreign language, etc.
I also think Billy Eichner himself is to blame… I know lots of people dont like him and thats why they didn’t go see the movie.
Also as many above me said, i (and lots of people) only go to the movies these days to see the big visually stunning movies, and watch everything else on streaming.
This is the first time I’m hearing about this movie. Probably should have sold it to a streaming service instead.
I’ve been seeing Billy Eichner do a lot of promotion for this film, but I don’t find him that funny and I didn’t think the trailer or the clips were funny either.
The movie looks like it’s cute. I watch cute movies at home. I prefer to see movies that I feel will give me the full bang for my bucks( it’s a lotta bucks) on the big screen. The weather was wet and nasty over the weekend, most people stayed home. Also, you’re not a big star Billy, you’re not pulling anyone into the theaters. Oh well, I’ll watch when it hits streaming and I’m sure it’ll do great there.
So much buzz for this movie and then months of nothing. I’d love to support this movie but I’m just not a theater person. The industry needs to change its metrics because I love all romcoms and they just aren’t made anymore because- Marvel? That’s not good enough. Anyway there are myriad gay romcom novels(Alexis Hall’s Glitterland and Boyfriend material). I’ll watch Bros on the small screen and I have no problem paying up to $20 for the privilege of watching a film in the comfort of my own home.
Not a homophobic weirdo but movies like this (rom coms, sleepy dramas, comedies) are the kind of thing I stream at home in my pajamas and comfy couch. I pay for the big screen for heavy special effects (Marvel, DC, horror, action like FF and Top Gun). After seeing trailers and clips, I think this movie will do spectacular on streaming.
I’m sure it wasn’t the intent, but not being interested in something doesn’t make one anti that thing. People have their own interests and limited dollars and time to put towards those interests.
It sounds like the movie will continue to do well, maybe just in another format.
There is a combination of a lot of factors here and not just related to homophobia, although that is likely some of it.
As said by others, rom coms usually don’t attract as large of a crowd at movies especially since the pandemic. Streaming has changed a lot in terms of how people watch movies and had this one been available to stream this weekend, I would have watched it. There have been good reviews coming out of TIFF so I am sure once it does start streaming it will make numbers.
And Covid is not over as much as people want to pretend it is, so many who might see this type of movie just don’t see movies in person anymore.
As many have said, this film will do huge on streaming. We are currently undergoing a cultural shift as far as film consumption, but how the industry measures success hasn’t quite caught up. Bros could rule the steaming services for months, inspire two sequels and a spin off TV show on Netflix and still be considered a “box office bomb”.
Frankly, studios need to pay better attention to what will do well in theaters versus streaming. A scary movie beat out Bros by a mile because well, it’s autumn and scary movies are fun theater experiences. Romcoms, without a massive movie star attached to them (and even sometimes with them), won’t do as well in theaters and seem like an obvious choice for streaming. It’s not a must-see with an audience or on the big screen.
There was also a major hurricane last week. There’s also still a pandemic. I used to be a huge theater goer but haven’t been back since pre-pandemic. It seems risky and is not worth it to me. So. Lots of factors at play here.
There are so many reasons why I didn’t watch Bros in theater this weekend (have the flu, prefer streaming generally unless the movie warrants, had never even heard of this movie until just now, the title is a turn-off), and not one of those reasons has anything at all to do with homophobia. I watched Schitt’s Creek re-runs all weekend. Not sure how inferring that absent movie-goers are homophobic is particularly helpful to the bottom line or word-of-mouth.
As a white gay man, Billy Eichner hasn’t paid attention to the overall queer content that has been generated in the last five years. This film isn’t as ground breaking as he thinks it is. I think queer folks want even more queer content and are getting pickier about it. The days of watching anything and everything because you were starved for representation and content are gone.
I found it very off-putting how he was representing this film as new and ground-breaking. There has been LGBT films in the past that succeeded in the mainstream. Hell, The Birdcage was a number 1 film for a few weeks, and that was back in the 90s! Granted, that had a leading actor who was not gay playing a gay man, but it did show that mainstream (ie, straight) America would embrace a film with queer themes if it was well-done, funny and actually enjoyable to watch.
I chalk to up to a lot of reasons – a hurricane in many parts of the country, pandemic, preference for streaming, etc. A lot of people are just not Billy Eichner fans – his brand of comedy is not for everyone. Also, don’t most romantic comedies that do make money, do so over longer periods of time? My Big Fat Greek wedding was a sleeper hit that made tons of money without ever hitting Number 1, I believe. He is reacting way too fast and might be turning people off with his ungraciousness.
Despite being an ace woman, I was actually really excited for this movie and went to go see it with a friend on opening night. It’s the first time I’ve gone to see a movie in-theater since the pandemic started. It’s really good! Billy would apparently be pleased to note that I too laughed and cried. I related to the Bobby character in a lot of ways. Both Fire Island and Bros discuss the pressure of beauty standards in the gay male community, but I thought Fire Island did a much better job of it.
That being said I can see why it didn’t do well. First, I think any romcom is going to struggle in-theater right now. I love romcoms unabashedly, but there really isn’t any point to seeing it in theaters. Say what you want about Marvel movies, there’s a reason to go see it on a big screen. Second, even if you handicap for homophobia, this movie is not for everyone. If you don’t like Eichner’s comedy then you won’t like the movie’s comedy because they are one and the same. I actually told my roommate, who is a gay man, not to see it in theaters because there were some scenes he might find triggering. It was a good movie, but it was also a lot.
I did love that they referenced Luke Macfarlane’s history playing Hallmark channel movie leads.
I am looking forward to seeing this and a bunch of my friends and I are planning on going. I am a huge fan of rom coms. But echoing your thoughts, I think any rom com is going to struggle to open big in today’s movie climate, especially ones without huge star leads.
Bros premiered at TIFF and a few friends saw it and loved it and between that and the critics reviews, it really does seem like a very good movie. But I am not sure in 2022 if you can count on a rom com no matter how groundbreaking or good, doing huge business right out of the gate.
I saw the trailer during The Woman King and it was so cringey. And sorry: Billy on the Street worked because Billy Eichner is loud and mean. I’m not interested in seeing him as an insecure but actually perfect romantic hero.
Also: representation of queer love are readily available and popular in the new model of film and tv series consumption. PValley, Interview with The Vampire…
Not sure if it was smart to wish for A big box office opening for a genre film that’s no longer successful in mainstream theaters.
I cannot take Billy’s screaming. I know it’s His Thing, but I grew up with screamy parents, I am sick of screamers, and I have not enjoyed Billy screaming anywhere I have seen him. Would probably have been more into the idea of seeing it if he was not in it, and reviews indicate that he likes to argue, so… more screaming. No thanks.
Also yeah, a movie very much advertised as For Gays may not really sell to all the straights.
And oh yeah, a hurricane too.
I’m feeling this. He’s built his brand on “loud and mean”, for me that doesn’t inspire much interest in a romcom he’s written and stars in. It’s getting good reviews from people I trust, so I’m sure I’ll see this at some point (when it’s streaming), but this just seems like a poor studio calculation of his appeal, plus all the other stuff people have been saying about the lackluster box office numbers romcoms do anyway.
There are many reasons why people may not have flocked to theatres. Like some said, there was significant bad weather in many parts of the US. Also, rom-coms are not known to be massive box office draws without some megawatt casting for the romantic pair (A List or bust, basically), and the genre tends to pull people who might not organically troope to a film titled “Bros”. Could discomfort with gay romance be playing a big role too? Definitely, but tbh what did he really expect? He knows rom-coms are basically vehicles for pushing a secular version of the christian ideal of complementarianism (one man for every woman), and that that ideal has zero room for male or female homosexuality, right? Like the medium was literally built to sell an opposing idea to the one you’re selling, so to make it compelling you’re going to need to change it so radically it won’t be a rom-com anymore.
But I like this pushy, entitled response better. It basically guarantees additional backlash and rancor the next time a gay person tries to put something out through a major studio. Eichner is peak YT gay
Everyone is right, rom coms are things you stream at home or back in the days you would rent or buy. The difference was back then when you would rent or buy the DVD, the studio and subsequently the creators get the residuals. Now streamers have taken that income so the pressure for both Marvel films and not really is box office alone. This is why we don’t see rom coms or indie films invested in the way we saw in the past. Matt Damon explained this really well during his Hot Ones interview. I feel bad for these new filmmakers b/c the films that inspired them to get into the biz would not be made today and where does that leave them? TV I guess.
Whose bright idea was it to make this movie a theater exclusive release? Isn’t streaming how we watch romcoms these days?
ummm I’m not at all homophobic, I did see notice that something called “Bros” was coming out, but from the title, I thought it was going to be the latest Seth Rogen joint and literally had no interest. Now that I know it’s starring Billy Eichner, I still have no interest because he’s just as annoying as Seth Rogen. Plus, as others have said, movie tickets are waaaay too expensive to spend $ on unless it’s going to be a visually spectacular viewing event.
I love Billy and the ads look hilarious! I haven’t been to a movie theatre since covid started. I might have to make this my first visit, b/c I think it’s important to support diversity in filmmaking.
I saw this movie last night. I laughed out loud multiple times, and Luke MacFarlane was wonderful in it. Billy Eichner is someone that I can take or leave (he works better for me in small doses) but he was actually pretty good in this. Here’s the thing – I understand the desire to release in theatres first but I would have done a limited theatre release while also concurrently releasing on a streaming platform. In all honesty, I wanted to see this movie but if one of my gay friends wasn’t trying to get a group together to go see it, I would have waited a month for it to stream. I usually just go to see big movies like Top Gun: Maverick or anything Marvel-related in the theatre to get that experience, but Bros to me is something I watch from my couch. That said, the theatre was packed but I saw it at the Grove in L.A. so you’re playing to the West Hollywood crowd which is a sure thing. I don’t blame Billy for being disappointed but I think that there are a lot of non-homophobia-related issues that affected the box office, and I would have been interested to see the numbers if this came out on Netflix.
Is it appropriate to honk for Luke McFarlane? He is the only reason I will watch this. At home, from the comfort of my couch.
The last thing I paid attention to that was called Bros was that viral blog post about the food blogger who went to a terribly and hilariously bad dinner in Italy at a restaurant called Bros. The owner of the restaurant responded with a weird answer about drawings of horses, lol it was a whole thing and now I follow the food blogger on Twitter because she’s hilarious. But the trailer of this movie did look cute and I’ll probably watch it once it comes out on streaming.
Ditto to what everyone said about the weather. I’m on the east coast and I haven’t left my house since Friday. Also, I don’t think Bros was the best choice of name for the movie. That calls up an Adam Sandler type vibe, not a rom-com.
I will probably watch this when it’s streaming, but really only because it’s a gay rom-com. I generally am not a fan of any rom-com, but at least it being two men changes up the formula.
I’d watch this from home. My reason troubles me, though.
I don’t like going to the theater anymore. I get nervous in public spaces. I look around and wonder who might have just lost faith in humanity and decided to make a splash on their way out.
When I think about this movie, it seems like a giant target for crazies that decided that people who don’t think like they do don’t deserve to live. For the first time in my life, my anxiety has gotten stronger than the desire to tell the crazies to f—- off.
And that is terrible.
Theaters had to put signs outside showings of Buzz Lightyear telling people to behave or pick a different movie. You’re not wrong about the current climate.