Comedian Billy Eichner has slammed 'homophobic weirdos' after his new film Bros tanked at the box office.
The romcom dropped in US cinemas last Friday, 30 September, and despite 'glowing reviews', it didn't perform well with ticket sales, drawing in $4.8 million over the weekend.
Bros, which is about two men with commitment issues attempting to start a relationship, is one of the first major studio films starring two gay lead characters portrayed by two openly gay actors.
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You can watch the trailer below:
Eichner, who plays one of the leads, Bobby Lieber, has suggested that the film's LGBTQ+ cast and themes may have something to do with why it didn't excel at the box office.
Taking to Twitter, the 44-year-old star wrote: "Last night I snuck in and sat in the back of a sold out theater playing BROS in LA.
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"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.
"Rolling Stone already has BROS on the list of the best comedies of the 21st century."
However, he explained that a theatre chain got in touch with Universal to say that were 'pulling the trailer' because of the 'gay content'.
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Although the studio convinced them not to, Eichner explained: "That’s just the world we live in, unfortunately.
"Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, an A CinemaScore etc, straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros. And that’s disappointing but it is what it is."
He went on to say: "Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast!
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"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!!!"
While many people shared their support for the actor, some suggested why so few people got a chance to see Bros this weekend.
As said by one commenter: "Ok so I want to add this, and disclaimer, I’m not a movie expert. But the most I’ve heard about this movie was on TMZ, AFTER its release.
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"Seeing that I’m probably a person who this movie would appeal too, I’m surprised I wasn’t targeted with more ads, trailers, etc."
Another suggested: "Box office is still low in the Covid world with moviegoers only going to huge blockbusters. You will see interest jump when this hits OnDemand or Streaming."
Well, if you're interested in seeing the film for yourself, you know what to do – and if you're across the pond, Bros drops in theatres on 28 October.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Topics: LGBTQ, Film and TV
Daisy Phillipson