'Bros' movie box office: It's OK to let gay art bomb - Los Angel Tim

Contents:

• ‘BROS’ STAR LE MACFARLANE TALKS MASCULY AND GAY INTY
• LE MACFARLANE ‘BROS’: THE HOTTT MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR IS A GAY MAN. FALLY!
• ‘BROS’ ISN’T AAID TO ADM THE (VERY ANNOYG) TTH ABOUT GAY MEN
• NICHOLAS STOLLER: MEET THE STRAIGHT GUY BEHD GAY ROM-COM ‘BROS’HOW IT GOT MADEWHEN DIRECTOR AND -WRER NICHOLAS STOLLER FIRST APPROACHED BILLY EICHNER ABOUT MAKG “BROS,” HE NEVER IMAGED THE BAT WOULD SPARK. HE TELLS WHAT HE’S LEARNED.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 05, 2022 3:55AM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 04, 2022 7:15PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTURIT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE TO LEARN, GIVEN THE DISURSE SURROUNDG THE FILM, THAT THE HISTORIC GAY ROMANTIC EDY BROS WAS A STRAIGHT GUY’S IA.NICHOLAS STOLLER KNOWS HOW TO DO A ROM-. SURE, HIS FACE MAYBE ISN’T ON THE GENRE’S MOUNT RHMORE ALONGSI NORA EPHRON, NANCY MEYERS, AND GARRY MARSHALL. BUT AN ARGUMENT ULD BE MA THAT, THIS MORN ERA OF THE ROM-, PERHAPS SHOULD BE.STOLLER DIRECTED FETTG SARAH MARSHALL, THE 2008 FILM THAT FAMOLY STARRED JASON SEGEL AS A MAN WHOSE GIRLIEND (KRISTEN BELL) DUMPS HIM WHILE HE’S FULLY NU. HE -WROTE AND DIRECTED THE SP-OFF GET HIM TO THE GREEK, WHICH PAIRED RSELL BRAND WH ROSE BYRNE. THEN THERE’S THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT (JASON SEGEL AND EY BLUNT HAVE A… WELL, YOU READ THE TLE) AND THE TWO NEIGHBORS FILMS (SETH ROGEN AND ROSE BYRNE NAVIGATE THEIR RELATNSHIP WHILE ATERNY AND SORORY STUNTS TERRORIZE THEM). AND HIS NETFLIX SERI FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE SHOWED HOW LOVE A CLOSE-KN IEND GROUP GETS MORE PLITED AS EVERYONE GETS OLR.NOW THERE’S BROS, WHICH OPENED LAST FRIDAY. STARRG BILLY EICHNER, WHO -WROTE THE FILM WH STOLLER, AND LE MACFARLANE, IS THE FIRST ROMANTIC EDY RELEASED THEATERS BY A MAJOR STUD TO STAR TWO GAY MEN. IT ALSO HAS SPARKED AN FERNO OF BATE, PECIALLY FOLLOWG A DISAPPOTG HL AT THE BOX OFFICE DURG S OPENG WEEKEND. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR BUT BEFORE WAS THE MOVIE SHOULRG A SKYSCRAPER’S WORTH OF EXPECTATNS THAT SUDNLY TURNED EVERYONE ON TWTER TO BOX-OFFICE EXPERTS, WAS AN IA FOR A GROUNDBREAKG ROMANTIC EDY BY A GUY WH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE MAKG THEM.“THE IA [FOR BROS] ORIGATED WH ME,” STOLLER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED. “I LOVE ROMANTIC EDI. I’VE MA A FEW, AND I’VE ALWAYS BEEN TRIGUED BY THE IA OF ROMANTIC EDY ABOUT TWO GAY MEN FALLG LOVE. BUT I’M STRAIGHT, SO I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I ULD TELL THAT STORY RRECTLY.”HE NEED SOMEONE WHO ULD LEND THE STORY THENTICY. CUE: BILLY EICHNER. STOLLER HAD FIRST NOTICED BILLY EICHNER HIS GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET, WHICH STARTED 2011. YEARS LATER, THEY WORKED TOGETHER WHEN EICHNER PLAYED A SMALL ROLE NEIGHBORS 2: SORORY RISG, THEN LLABORATED MORE SUBSTANTIALLY WHEN EICHNER PLAYED A KEY CHARACTER FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE.“I KNEW HE WAS REALLY FUNNY OM BILLY ON THE STREET, BUT I DISVERED THAT HE’S A REALLY GOOD ACTOR, WHICH I DIDN’T KNOW,” STOLLER SAYS. “WHEN WE SHOWED THE FIRST EPISO OF THAT SHOW A MOVIE THEATER, EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN, STROYED. THE DIENCE WENT NUTS. I WAS LIKE, OH, HE’S LIKE A MOVIE STAR. HE SERV SOMETHG BUILT AROUND HIM.” THEY LATER EMAILED ABOUT STOLLER’S IA ABOUT A SAME-SEX ROMANTIC EDY, WHICH THE DIRECTOR NOW WANTED TO CENTER AROUND EICHNER’S EDIC SENSIBILY AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. EICHER JOED ON AS STOLLER’S -WRER AND STAR, WH STOLLER PRODUCG ALONGSI MEGA-PRODUCER JUDD APATOW. NOW, BROS IS FALLY OUT—AND MAY BE THE MOST DISCSED FILM OF THE FALL.BROS FOLLOWS BOBBY (EICHNER), A CEREBRAL PODSTER AND LGBT HISTORIAN. HIS IAS ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE ARE UPEND WHEN HE SPARKS A NNECTN WH MACFARLANE’S AARON, A HOT LAWYER WHO—AT LEAST BOBBY ASSUM—WOULD NEVER GIVE HIM THE TIME OF DAY. HILARY AND HIJKS ENSUE BETWEEN BOBBY, AARON, AND THEIR IENDS—ONLY, THIS TIME, IS GAY HILARY AND GAY HIJKS. NOT ONLY IS BROS THE FIRST GAY ROM- OM A BIG STUD (GRDR, FOURSOM, AND NONMONOGAMY, OH MY!), BUT EVERY MA CHARACTER IS ALSO PLAYED BY AN OUT LGBTQ-INTIFYG ACTOR, CLUDG THE HETEROSEXUAL CHARACTERS.WHEN STOLLER AND I CHAT OVER ZOOM, ’S A FEW DAYS BEFORE BROS OPENED ON MORE THAN 3,000 SCREENS—AND BEFORE THE FILM FELL FAR SHORT OF EXPECTATNS, MAKG LS THAN $5 LN AT THE BOX OFFICE. IN THE DAYS SCE, A DIZZYG ARRAY OF DTRY SIRS AND ARMCHAIR EXPERTS ALIKE HAVE TRIED SQUARG THE DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE FILM’S ECSTATIC REVIEWS AND WORD OF MOUTH AND S PALTRY GROSS. (EICHNER, FOR ONE, ARGUED THAT “STRAIGHT PEOPLE, PECIALLY CERTA PARTS OF THE UNTRY, JT DIDN’T SHOW UP.”) BUT AT THE TIME WE SPEAK, BEFORE ALL OF THAT, STOLLER IS HOPEFUL ABOUT HOW THE FILM WILL BE RECEIVED; A NATNWI ROAD SHOW OF TT SCREENGS HAD ALREADY PLAYED LIKE GANGBTERS. BUT HIS GOAL FOR BROS EXTENDS EPER THAN WHATEVER BOX-OFFICE NUMBERS MIGHT TALLY. “AS A EDY FAN, I JT WANT THIS TO WORK,” HE SAYS. “EACH ONE OF THE PEOPLE THE MOVIE SERV THEIR OWN MOVIE OR TV SHOW.”WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRSUR PUT ON THE MOVIE, THE DIFFERENCE MAKG A GAY ROM- VERS A STRAIGHT ONE, AND WHY IS SO IMPORTANT FOR A MASTREAM (OR NON-LGBTQ) DIENCE TO WNS A GAY Y CEMAS.BEFORE BROS WAS SEEN BY A SGLE PERSON—EVEN BACK WHEN WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED— BEME THIS LIGHTNG ROD FOR STRONG OPNS ABOUT WHAT KD OF STORY SHOULD BE TELLG, BEE OF S HISTORIC NATURE. WHAT WAS LIKE TO NAVIGATE THAT MAELSTROM OF DISURSE?I FEEL REALLY PRIVILEGED TO HAVE GOTTEN TO BE PART OF THIS MOVIE—EVEN THOUGH DID START WH ME, SO THAT FEELS LIKE A WEIRD THG TO SAY. BILLY WAS VERY AWARE OF THIS KD OF DIALOGUE. AS A STRAIGHT GUY, I JT WAS LIKE, IF WE JT MAKE AN HONT STORY THAT'S ABOUT YOU, WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THAT NOISE. I THK THAT SHOWED A PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MOVI ABOUT STRAIGHT UPL FALLG LOVE, THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO THK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU’RE MAKG ANOTHER ONE. RIGHT. BUT THIS SE, YOU N’T NOT THK ABOUT THE THGS.Y. I THOUGHT OF THIS FIRST AND FOREMOST AS A EDY VEHICLE FOR BILLY EICHNER. HE HAS A CHARISMA AND A TONE AND A VOICE THAT I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. HE SERV THIS THE WAY KRISTEN WIIG SERV HER OWN EDY VEHICLE, OR JASON SEGEL, OR SETH ROGEN—WHOEVER IS—SERV . HE’S JT THAT TALENTED. THAT’S THE WAY I ALWAYS PHILOSOPHILLY THOUGHT ABOUT .HE WAS VERY NERVO ABOUT [THE EXPECTATNS]. BEE OF MY POSN THE WORLD, I JT WASN’T AS NERVO. AS WE WORKED ON , WE JT GOT MORE AND MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT HIS STORY AND HONT ABOUT HIS STORY. THERE’S NOT REALLY ANY WAY TO TO MAKE A STORY FOR EVERY SGLE PERSON, BUT THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU ARE, THE MORE RELATABLE AND UNIVERSAL YOUR STORY IS.OBSERVG ALL OF THE TENSE REACTNS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR WHAT PEOPLE WANT THE MOVIE TO BE, N BE EXHSTG. IT N ALSO BE RMATIVE AND EFUL. WHEN A MARGALIZED MUNY IS GIVEN A PLATFORM LIKE THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF MANDS.IT’S SO UNFAIR, AND ’S SOMETHG THAT I WAS TOTALLY BLD TO. I TOTALLY DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL I WORKED WH [EICHNER]. I GET . I UNRSTAND WHY THOSE MANDS ARE PLACED ON . THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS, BUT PART OF WHY WE HAVE AN ENTIRELY LGBTQ ST WASN’T BEE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD MARKETG HOOK OR WHATEVER. IT’S TO BRG REALLY FUNNY IC VOIC THAT ARE OM ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE MUNY TO THIS MOVIE, BEE WOULD JT MAKE FUNNIER AND MORE RICH. DID MAKG THIS MOVIE FEEL DIFFERENTLY OM SOMETHG LIKE FETTG SARAH MARSHALL, BEE THIS FILM CENTERS AROUND A GAY UPLE?IT DID FEEL DIFFERENT. AND ALSO DIDN’T FEEL DIFFERENT. IT FELT REALLY DIFFERENT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH ABOUT GAY ROMANCE AND SPECIFILLY BILLY’S VERSN OF THAT I JT DIDN’T KNOW. WRG THIS KD OF MOVIE, ’S SENTIALLY A LONG THERAPY SSN. IT’S SOMETHG I’VE DONE NOW WH A FEW DIFFERENT ACTORS, WHERE YOU’RE JT KD OF TALKG ABOUT YOUR LIFE, AND THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT THEIR LIV. I THK ABOUT GET HIM TO THE GREEK, WHICH IS REALLY ALL ABOUT RSELL BRAND’S ADDICTN. I SPENT HOURS AND HOURS TALKG TO HIM ABOUT , BEE I’M NOT A FORMER ADDICT. IT WAS SIAR WH THIS, TALKG TO BILLY ABOUT HIS LIFE.BROS REALLY DO FEEL LIKE A MOVIE WRTEN BY A GAY MAN FOR GAY MEN, OM THE WAY THE CHARACTERS SPEAK TO WHAT THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT, WHOUT THE BURN OF EXPLAG ALL FOR A “STRAIGHT” DIENCE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO GREAT MONOLOGU BILLY HAS ABOUT LGBT HISTORY, THE PRSUR ON GAY MEN, AND THE CROSSROADS THE MUNY IS AT THAT ARE, I THK, ENLIGHTENG AND TNAL FOR A STRAIGHT DIENCE. HOW DID YOU BALANCE NOT OVEREXPLAG VERS NOT TO BE SO GAY THAT A STRAIGHT DIENCE WOULDN’T RE?BILLY ULD SPEAK TO THIS MORE THAN ME, BUT I THK HE’S SPENT HIS ENTIRE REER TRYG TO EXPLA TO HOLLYWOOD WHO HE IS. SO I THK HE FELT… HE NEED TO REALLY EXPLA TO THE DIENCE HOW HE THKS. A BIG PART OF WHO HE IS, WHAT HE LIK TO TALK ABOUT, AND WHAT HE’S TERTED ARE [ISSU ] THE LGBTQ MUNY. HE SAID OM THE BEGNG, AND I AGREED WH HIM, THAT THIS HAS GOT TO WORK WH A GAY DIENCE FIRST. HE WAS LIKE, “I DON’T RE ABOUT THE STRAIGHT DIENC.” FOR ME, ANOTHER WAY I WOULD THK ABOUT , BEG STRAIGHT, WAS THAT THIS HAS TO JT BE PURE. THIS HAS TO BE TE TO BILLY’S EDY. THAT’S ALL I RE ABOUT. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR THE IA OF TN AND ENLIGHTENMENT—AND WHAT MAK THIS HISTORIC FOR A MAJOR STUD MOVIE—ISN’T JT THAT THERE ARE LGBT ISSU DISCSED. THERE’S A VERY REALISTIC GRDR SCENE. THERE IS AN Y. THERE IS THE LE, “I’M SUPPOSED TO FUCK HIM AND HIS HBAND LATER.” DID FEEL EDGY OR DANGERO TO CLU THOSE?WHEN BILLY WROTE THE GRDR SCENE, I WAS A LTLE WORRIED WASN’T FUNNY ENOUGH. I WASN’T WORRIED IF WAS TOO CRAZY. I WORRIED THAT WE NEED SOME BIG SET PIECE. DID WE NEED, LIKE, A BRISMAIDS-QUE GRDR HOOKUP SCENE, YOU KNOW?THAT PEOPLE WOULD ONLY FD FUNNY IF WAS OVER-THE-TOP, LIKE THE BRISMAIDS POOPG SCENE.RIGHT. BUT THE SCENE IS FUNNY BEE ’S JT A FUNNY, WEIRD SUATN. YOU MEET A STRANGER, HOOK UP, AND THEN IS HERENTLY FUNNY. THE DIENCE GO ALONG WH , BEE ’S HONT. THAT WAS SOMETHG THAT I LEARNED DOG THIS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS VERY GROUND. I LOVE DOG BROAD STUFF AND HAVG BIG SET PIEC. BUT THIS MOVIE, THE TONE STAYS A PRETTY GROUND ZONE. SOME CRAZY STUFF HAPPENS—THAT WAS PART OF THE TONE, TOO. THERE’S A BIG RELEASE OF TENSN AND A BIG LGH WHEN THE GUY MASTURBAT ONTO BILLY, AND BILLY GO, “THANK YOU.” I MEAN, ’S SO FUNNY.ONE OF THE THGS THAT REALLY WORKS IS THAT THE MOVIE FOLLOWS A ROM- FORMULA THAT WE LOVE AND ARE FAIAR WH. BUT, BY THE NATURE OF THIS SAME-SEX UPLE, ALSO ALS WH IAS ABOUT MMENT, RELATNSHIPS, AND MONOGAMY AFAR LS NVENTNAL WAYS THAN A TYPIL HETEROSEXUAL ROM-. HOW DID THOSE TWO THGS WORK TOGETHER?AT THE BEGNG OF THE PROCS, I TOLD BILLY THE THREE THGS THE MOVIE NEEDS TO BE: IT HAS TO BE HONT, HAS TO BE FUNNY, AND HAS TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDG. BUT WE ALSO DID NOT WANT THIS TO BE A STRAIGHT ROMANTIC EDY, BUT ’S TWO GUYS. THAT WOULDN’T WORK EHER. SO DO WE HAVE AN OPEN RELATNSHIP? THOSE BAT ARE EVEN THE MOVIE. … WE DID A CUT OF THE MOVIE WHERE WE LIFTED ALL OF THAT. WE LIFTED THE FOURSOME. THE WHOLE MOVIE SUDNLY FELT LIKE A STRAIGHT ROMANTIC EDY. IT DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH TALK ABOUT HOW HISTORIC THIS MOVIE IS AND HOW IMPORTANT WOULD BE FOR TO BE A H AT THE BOX OFFICE. WHAT ARE YOUR HOP FOR THE MOVIE?OBVLY, I HAVE PERSONAL TERT , BUT I’M GOG TO PUT THAT ASI FOR A SEND JT AS A EDY FAN. I HOPE THIS WORKS MERCIALLY SO OPENS THE DOORS TO A LOT MORE OF THE STORI. BEE AS A EDY FAN, EACH ONE OF THE PEOPLE THE MOVIE SERV THEIR OWN MOVIE OR SERV THEIR OWN TV SHOW. THEY’RE SO FUNNY. REMEMBER, EDY DIRECTORS WERE ONCE EDY NERDS. I STILL AM. BUT I REMEMBER BEG A KID AND SEEG THE BIRDGE THEATERS. THE MOVIE ME OUT AND WAS A MASSIVE H. AND I WAS LIKE, WHO’S THIS NATHAN LANE GUY? I LOVE THIS GUY. I N’T WA TO SEE WHAT HE’S GOG TO DO NEXT. HE’S JT THE FUNNIT GUY. AND THEN HE DID NOTHG, BEE OF THE WAY THE DTRY WAS AT THE TIME. THAT SUCKS, YOU KNOW? HE SHOULD HAVE HAD 10 MORE OF THOSE MOVI.THAT’S SO TE.I FEEL THE SAME WAY WH [BROS]. SOMEONE LIKE EVE LDLEY, WHO’S HYSTERIL THIS—SHE SERV HER OWN THG. SO AS A EDY FAN, I JT WANT THIS TO WORK. BEE THE MORE H STORI, THE BETTER. THEY’RE ALWAYS FUNNY. YOU KNOW, FGERS CROSSED. WHO KNOWS. EVERYTHG IS SO WEIRD RIGHT NOW THEATRILLY. BUT THE MOVIE DO WHAT ’S SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN WE SCREEN . PEOPLE LGH OM START TO FISH. PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THAT THEY FELT THGS. THAT’S ALL YOU HOPE FOR. KEV FALLON
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY
• COMMENTARY: THE REAL LSON OF ‘BROS’: IT’S OK TO LET GAY ART BOMB

‘BROS’ STAR LE MACFARLANE TALKS MASCULY AND GAY INTY

Now, more than a later, the actor will make his theatril film but — the first-ever gay rom- om a major stud (the ma st is entirely ma up of LGBTQ actors).

He stars Universal’s Bros, om Billy Eichner (also the first openly gay man to -wre and star his own major stud film) and director Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors).

Their meet-cute happens at a gay club, where a shirtls, ripped, baseball-hatted Aaron mak cheeky nversatn wh the phy and perennially sgle-on-purpose Bobby.

LE MACFARLANE ‘BROS’: THE HOTTT MOVIE STAR OF THE YEAR IS A GAY MAN. FALLY!

“When I first read the Bros script, I really nnected wh Aaron on the ia of, where do his masculy f to the gay spectm? Macfarlane says he me of age, and to the bs, at a time when gay men felt the ways which they were allowed to exprs themselv, and search for succs, were very narrow. “There was somethg about growg up the ’90s, our ias of masculy me om Abercrombie & Fch or Calv Kle ads, and that was very nfg to gay people of a certa age, ” he says, also rellg how an after-school viewg of the Chippendal dancers on The Phil Donahue Show exemplified the emphatilly mascule msagg of the time.

“It’s about more than gettg gay people out to see the movie, ” says Macfarlane. Given what we’re discsg—the explic sex scen and filthy, flirty dialogue between gay men that happens the new movie Bros— the next words that e out of his mouth are unexpected: “I’ve kissed a lot of women on Hallmark.

Is a Big Gay Deal, and Macfarlane and I have nvened to talk about Big Gay Thgs. It’s the first major stud theatril release starrg two gay men as the love terts. Universal PicturMacfarlane me out publicly as gay durg the n of Brothers & Sisters.

‘BROS’ ISN’T AAID TO ADM THE (VERY ANNOYG) TTH ABOUT GAY MEN

) He was acplishg exactly what Hollywood suggted was impossible for out gay actors. And I hope that that sort of crossover between gay and straight be easier for for queer actors movg forward.

”Here Macfarlane and I are, talkg about how he beme part of one of Hollywood’s gayt movi to ever h the big screen, and hs me jt how much his succs means. And means jt lettg an actor be an is remarkable about Bros—and remarkable still feels silly to say—is that there is gay sex . “There was a certa level of ecstasy and terror volved that that I thk most gay men n relate to.

”Those gay men don’t have to take a tra to New York Cy’s Wt Village to see this scene, or the movie, at the one pennt cema where Bros is playg.

NICHOLAS STOLLER: MEET THE STRAIGHT GUY BEHD GAY ROM-COM ‘BROS’HOW IT GOT MADEWHEN DIRECTOR AND -WRER NICHOLAS STOLLER FIRST APPROACHED BILLY EICHNER ABOUT MAKG “BROS,” HE NEVER IMAGED THE BAT WOULD SPARK. HE TELLS WHAT HE’S LEARNED.KEV FALLONSENR EDOR, OBSSEDUPDATED OCT. 05, 2022 3:55AM EDT / PUBLISHED OCT. 04, 2022 7:15PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ER O’FLYNN/THE DAILY BEAST/NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTURIT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE TO LEARN, GIVEN THE DISURSE SURROUNDG THE FILM, THAT THE HISTORIC GAY ROMANTIC EDY BROS WAS A STRAIGHT GUY’S IA.NICHOLAS STOLLER KNOWS HOW TO DO A ROM-. SURE, HIS FACE MAYBE ISN’T ON THE GENRE’S MOUNT RHMORE ALONGSI NORA EPHRON, NANCY MEYERS, AND GARRY MARSHALL. BUT AN ARGUMENT ULD BE MA THAT, THIS MORN ERA OF THE ROM-, PERHAPS SHOULD BE.STOLLER DIRECTED FETTG SARAH MARSHALL, THE 2008 FILM THAT FAMOLY STARRED JASON SEGEL AS A MAN WHOSE GIRLIEND (KRISTEN BELL) DUMPS HIM WHILE HE’S FULLY NU. HE -WROTE AND DIRECTED THE SP-OFF GET HIM TO THE GREEK, WHICH PAIRED RSELL BRAND WH ROSE BYRNE. THEN THERE’S THE FIVE-YEAR ENGAGEMENT (JASON SEGEL AND EY BLUNT HAVE A… WELL, YOU READ THE TLE) AND THE TWO NEIGHBORS FILMS (SETH ROGEN AND ROSE BYRNE NAVIGATE THEIR RELATNSHIP WHILE ATERNY AND SORORY STUNTS TERRORIZE THEM). AND HIS NETFLIX SERI FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE SHOWED HOW LOVE A CLOSE-KN IEND GROUP GETS MORE PLITED AS EVERYONE GETS OLR.NOW THERE’S BROS, WHICH OPENED LAST FRIDAY. STARRG BILLY EICHNER, WHO -WROTE THE FILM WH STOLLER, AND LE MACFARLANE, IS THE FIRST ROMANTIC EDY RELEASED THEATERS BY A MAJOR STUD TO STAR TWO GAY MEN. IT ALSO HAS SPARKED AN FERNO OF BATE, PECIALLY FOLLOWG A DISAPPOTG HL AT THE BOX OFFICE DURG S OPENG WEEKEND. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR BUT BEFORE WAS THE MOVIE SHOULRG A SKYSCRAPER’S WORTH OF EXPECTATNS THAT SUDNLY TURNED EVERYONE ON TWTER TO BOX-OFFICE EXPERTS, WAS AN IA FOR A GROUNDBREAKG ROMANTIC EDY BY A GUY WH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE MAKG THEM.“THE IA [FOR BROS] ORIGATED WH ME,” STOLLER TELLS THE DAILY BEAST’S OBSSED. “I LOVE ROMANTIC EDI. I’VE MA A FEW, AND I’VE ALWAYS BEEN TRIGUED BY THE IA OF ROMANTIC EDY ABOUT TWO GAY MEN FALLG LOVE. BUT I’M STRAIGHT, SO I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I ULD TELL THAT STORY RRECTLY.”HE NEED SOMEONE WHO ULD LEND THE STORY THENTICY. CUE: BILLY EICHNER. STOLLER HAD FIRST NOTICED BILLY EICHNER HIS GAME SHOW BILLY ON THE STREET, WHICH STARTED 2011. YEARS LATER, THEY WORKED TOGETHER WHEN EICHNER PLAYED A SMALL ROLE NEIGHBORS 2: SORORY RISG, THEN LLABORATED MORE SUBSTANTIALLY WHEN EICHNER PLAYED A KEY CHARACTER FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE.“I KNEW HE WAS REALLY FUNNY OM BILLY ON THE STREET, BUT I DISVERED THAT HE’S A REALLY GOOD ACTOR, WHICH I DIDN’T KNOW,” STOLLER SAYS. “WHEN WE SHOWED THE FIRST EPISO OF THAT SHOW A MOVIE THEATER, EVERY TIME HE WAS ON SCREEN, STROYED. THE DIENCE WENT NUTS. I WAS LIKE, OH, HE’S LIKE A MOVIE STAR. HE SERV SOMETHG BUILT AROUND HIM.” THEY LATER EMAILED ABOUT STOLLER’S IA ABOUT A SAME-SEX ROMANTIC EDY, WHICH THE DIRECTOR NOW WANTED TO CENTER AROUND EICHNER’S EDIC SENSIBILY AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. EICHER JOED ON AS STOLLER’S -WRER AND STAR, WH STOLLER PRODUCG ALONGSI MEGA-PRODUCER JUDD APATOW. NOW, BROS IS FALLY OUT—AND MAY BE THE MOST DISCSED FILM OF THE FALL.BROS FOLLOWS BOBBY (EICHNER), A CEREBRAL PODSTER AND LGBT HISTORIAN. HIS IAS ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE ARE UPEND WHEN HE SPARKS A NNECTN WH MACFARLANE’S AARON, A HOT LAWYER WHO—AT LEAST BOBBY ASSUM—WOULD NEVER GIVE HIM THE TIME OF DAY. HILARY AND HIJKS ENSUE BETWEEN BOBBY, AARON, AND THEIR IENDS—ONLY, THIS TIME, IS GAY HILARY AND GAY HIJKS. NOT ONLY IS BROS THE FIRST GAY ROM- OM A BIG STUD (GRDR, FOURSOM, AND NONMONOGAMY, OH MY!), BUT EVERY MA CHARACTER IS ALSO PLAYED BY AN OUT LGBTQ-INTIFYG ACTOR, CLUDG THE HETEROSEXUAL CHARACTERS.WHEN STOLLER AND I CHAT OVER ZOOM, ’S A FEW DAYS BEFORE BROS OPENED ON MORE THAN 3,000 SCREENS—AND BEFORE THE FILM FELL FAR SHORT OF EXPECTATNS, MAKG LS THAN $5 LN AT THE BOX OFFICE. IN THE DAYS SCE, A DIZZYG ARRAY OF DTRY SIRS AND ARMCHAIR EXPERTS ALIKE HAVE TRIED SQUARG THE DISSONANCE BETWEEN THE FILM’S ECSTATIC REVIEWS AND WORD OF MOUTH AND S PALTRY GROSS. (EICHNER, FOR ONE, ARGUED THAT “STRAIGHT PEOPLE, PECIALLY CERTA PARTS OF THE UNTRY, JT DIDN’T SHOW UP.”) BUT AT THE TIME WE SPEAK, BEFORE ALL OF THAT, STOLLER IS HOPEFUL ABOUT HOW THE FILM WILL BE RECEIVED; A NATNWI ROAD SHOW OF TT SCREENGS HAD ALREADY PLAYED LIKE GANGBTERS. BUT HIS GOAL FOR BROS EXTENDS EPER THAN WHATEVER BOX-OFFICE NUMBERS MIGHT TALLY. “AS A EDY FAN, I JT WANT THIS TO WORK,” HE SAYS. “EACH ONE OF THE PEOPLE THE MOVIE SERV THEIR OWN MOVIE OR TV SHOW.”WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRSUR PUT ON THE MOVIE, THE DIFFERENCE MAKG A GAY ROM- VERS A STRAIGHT ONE, AND WHY IS SO IMPORTANT FOR A MASTREAM (OR NON-LGBTQ) DIENCE TO WNS A GAY Y CEMAS.BEFORE BROS WAS SEEN BY A SGLE PERSON—EVEN BACK WHEN WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED— BEME THIS LIGHTNG ROD FOR STRONG OPNS ABOUT WHAT KD OF STORY SHOULD BE TELLG, BEE OF S HISTORIC NATURE. WHAT WAS LIKE TO NAVIGATE THAT MAELSTROM OF DISURSE?I FEEL REALLY PRIVILEGED TO HAVE GOTTEN TO BE PART OF THIS MOVIE—EVEN THOUGH DID START WH ME, SO THAT FEELS LIKE A WEIRD THG TO SAY. BILLY WAS VERY AWARE OF THIS KD OF DIALOGUE. AS A STRAIGHT GUY, I JT WAS LIKE, IF WE JT MAKE AN HONT STORY THAT'S ABOUT YOU, WE DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THAT NOISE. I THK THAT SHOWED A PRIVILEGE THAT I HAVE. THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MOVI ABOUT STRAIGHT UPL FALLG LOVE, THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO THK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU’RE MAKG ANOTHER ONE. RIGHT. BUT THIS SE, YOU N’T NOT THK ABOUT THE THGS.Y. I THOUGHT OF THIS FIRST AND FOREMOST AS A EDY VEHICLE FOR BILLY EICHNER. HE HAS A CHARISMA AND A TONE AND A VOICE THAT I’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. HE SERV THIS THE WAY KRISTEN WIIG SERV HER OWN EDY VEHICLE, OR JASON SEGEL, OR SETH ROGEN—WHOEVER IS—SERV . HE’S JT THAT TALENTED. THAT’S THE WAY I ALWAYS PHILOSOPHILLY THOUGHT ABOUT .HE WAS VERY NERVO ABOUT [THE EXPECTATNS]. BEE OF MY POSN THE WORLD, I JT WASN’T AS NERVO. AS WE WORKED ON , WE JT GOT MORE AND MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT HIS STORY AND HONT ABOUT HIS STORY. THERE’S NOT REALLY ANY WAY TO TO MAKE A STORY FOR EVERY SGLE PERSON, BUT THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU ARE, THE MORE RELATABLE AND UNIVERSAL YOUR STORY IS.OBSERVG ALL OF THE TENSE REACTNS ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR WHAT PEOPLE WANT THE MOVIE TO BE, N BE EXHSTG. IT N ALSO BE RMATIVE AND EFUL. WHEN A MARGALIZED MUNY IS GIVEN A PLATFORM LIKE THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF MANDS.IT’S SO UNFAIR, AND ’S SOMETHG THAT I WAS TOTALLY BLD TO. I TOTALLY DIDN’T KNOW UNTIL I WORKED WH [EICHNER]. I GET . I UNRSTAND WHY THOSE MANDS ARE PLACED ON . THERE ARE A LOT OF REASONS, BUT PART OF WHY WE HAVE AN ENTIRELY LGBTQ ST WASN’T BEE WE THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD MARKETG HOOK OR WHATEVER. IT’S TO BRG REALLY FUNNY IC VOIC THAT ARE OM ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE MUNY TO THIS MOVIE, BEE WOULD JT MAKE FUNNIER AND MORE RICH. DID MAKG THIS MOVIE FEEL DIFFERENTLY OM SOMETHG LIKE FETTG SARAH MARSHALL, BEE THIS FILM CENTERS AROUND A GAY UPLE?IT DID FEEL DIFFERENT. AND ALSO DIDN’T FEEL DIFFERENT. IT FELT REALLY DIFFERENT BEE THERE WAS SO MUCH ABOUT GAY ROMANCE AND SPECIFILLY BILLY’S VERSN OF THAT I JT DIDN’T KNOW. WRG THIS KD OF MOVIE, ’S SENTIALLY A LONG THERAPY SSN. IT’S SOMETHG I’VE DONE NOW WH A FEW DIFFERENT ACTORS, WHERE YOU’RE JT KD OF TALKG ABOUT YOUR LIFE, AND THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT THEIR LIV. I THK ABOUT GET HIM TO THE GREEK, WHICH IS REALLY ALL ABOUT RSELL BRAND’S ADDICTN. I SPENT HOURS AND HOURS TALKG TO HIM ABOUT , BEE I’M NOT A FORMER ADDICT. IT WAS SIAR WH THIS, TALKG TO BILLY ABOUT HIS LIFE.BROS REALLY DO FEEL LIKE A MOVIE WRTEN BY A GAY MAN FOR GAY MEN, OM THE WAY THE CHARACTERS SPEAK TO WHAT THEY’RE TALKG ABOUT, WHOUT THE BURN OF EXPLAG ALL FOR A “STRAIGHT” DIENCE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO GREAT MONOLOGU BILLY HAS ABOUT LGBT HISTORY, THE PRSUR ON GAY MEN, AND THE CROSSROADS THE MUNY IS AT THAT ARE, I THK, ENLIGHTENG AND TNAL FOR A STRAIGHT DIENCE. HOW DID YOU BALANCE NOT OVEREXPLAG VERS NOT TO BE SO GAY THAT A STRAIGHT DIENCE WOULDN’T RE?BILLY ULD SPEAK TO THIS MORE THAN ME, BUT I THK HE’S SPENT HIS ENTIRE REER TRYG TO EXPLA TO HOLLYWOOD WHO HE IS. SO I THK HE FELT… HE NEED TO REALLY EXPLA TO THE DIENCE HOW HE THKS. A BIG PART OF WHO HE IS, WHAT HE LIK TO TALK ABOUT, AND WHAT HE’S TERTED ARE [ISSU ] THE LGBTQ MUNY. HE SAID OM THE BEGNG, AND I AGREED WH HIM, THAT THIS HAS GOT TO WORK WH A GAY DIENCE FIRST. HE WAS LIKE, “I DON’T RE ABOUT THE STRAIGHT DIENC.” FOR ME, ANOTHER WAY I WOULD THK ABOUT , BEG STRAIGHT, WAS THAT THIS HAS TO JT BE PURE. THIS HAS TO BE TE TO BILLY’S EDY. THAT’S ALL I RE ABOUT. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR THE IA OF TN AND ENLIGHTENMENT—AND WHAT MAK THIS HISTORIC FOR A MAJOR STUD MOVIE—ISN’T JT THAT THERE ARE LGBT ISSU DISCSED. THERE’S A VERY REALISTIC GRDR SCENE. THERE IS AN Y. THERE IS THE LE, “I’M SUPPOSED TO FUCK HIM AND HIS HBAND LATER.” DID FEEL EDGY OR DANGERO TO CLU THOSE?WHEN BILLY WROTE THE GRDR SCENE, I WAS A LTLE WORRIED WASN’T FUNNY ENOUGH. I WASN’T WORRIED IF WAS TOO CRAZY. I WORRIED THAT WE NEED SOME BIG SET PIECE. DID WE NEED, LIKE, A BRISMAIDS-QUE GRDR HOOKUP SCENE, YOU KNOW?THAT PEOPLE WOULD ONLY FD FUNNY IF WAS OVER-THE-TOP, LIKE THE BRISMAIDS POOPG SCENE.RIGHT. BUT THE SCENE IS FUNNY BEE ’S JT A FUNNY, WEIRD SUATN. YOU MEET A STRANGER, HOOK UP, AND THEN IS HERENTLY FUNNY. THE DIENCE GO ALONG WH , BEE ’S HONT. THAT WAS SOMETHG THAT I LEARNED DOG THIS MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS VERY GROUND. I LOVE DOG BROAD STUFF AND HAVG BIG SET PIEC. BUT THIS MOVIE, THE TONE STAYS A PRETTY GROUND ZONE. SOME CRAZY STUFF HAPPENS—THAT WAS PART OF THE TONE, TOO. THERE’S A BIG RELEASE OF TENSN AND A BIG LGH WHEN THE GUY MASTURBAT ONTO BILLY, AND BILLY GO, “THANK YOU.” I MEAN, ’S SO FUNNY.ONE OF THE THGS THAT REALLY WORKS IS THAT THE MOVIE FOLLOWS A ROM- FORMULA THAT WE LOVE AND ARE FAIAR WH. BUT, BY THE NATURE OF THIS SAME-SEX UPLE, ALSO ALS WH IAS ABOUT MMENT, RELATNSHIPS, AND MONOGAMY AFAR LS NVENTNAL WAYS THAN A TYPIL HETEROSEXUAL ROM-. HOW DID THOSE TWO THGS WORK TOGETHER?AT THE BEGNG OF THE PROCS, I TOLD BILLY THE THREE THGS THE MOVIE NEEDS TO BE: IT HAS TO BE HONT, HAS TO BE FUNNY, AND HAS TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDG. BUT WE ALSO DID NOT WANT THIS TO BE A STRAIGHT ROMANTIC EDY, BUT ’S TWO GUYS. THAT WOULDN’T WORK EHER. SO DO WE HAVE AN OPEN RELATNSHIP? THOSE BAT ARE EVEN THE MOVIE. … WE DID A CUT OF THE MOVIE WHERE WE LIFTED ALL OF THAT. WE LIFTED THE FOURSOME. THE WHOLE MOVIE SUDNLY FELT LIKE A STRAIGHT ROMANTIC EDY. IT DIDN'T WORK AT ALL. NILE RIVELLI/UNIVERSAL PICTUR THERE’S BEEN SO MUCH TALK ABOUT HOW HISTORIC THIS MOVIE IS AND HOW IMPORTANT WOULD BE FOR TO BE A H AT THE BOX OFFICE. WHAT ARE YOUR HOP FOR THE MOVIE?OBVLY, I HAVE PERSONAL TERT , BUT I’M GOG TO PUT THAT ASI FOR A SEND JT AS A EDY FAN. I HOPE THIS WORKS MERCIALLY SO OPENS THE DOORS TO A LOT MORE OF THE STORI. BEE AS A EDY FAN, EACH ONE OF THE PEOPLE THE MOVIE SERV THEIR OWN MOVIE OR SERV THEIR OWN TV SHOW. THEY’RE SO FUNNY. REMEMBER, EDY DIRECTORS WERE ONCE EDY NERDS. I STILL AM. BUT I REMEMBER BEG A KID AND SEEG THE BIRDGE THEATERS. THE MOVIE ME OUT AND WAS A MASSIVE H. AND I WAS LIKE, WHO’S THIS NATHAN LANE GUY? I LOVE THIS GUY. I N’T WA TO SEE WHAT HE’S GOG TO DO NEXT. HE’S JT THE FUNNIT GUY. AND THEN HE DID NOTHG, BEE OF THE WAY THE DTRY WAS AT THE TIME. THAT SUCKS, YOU KNOW? HE SHOULD HAVE HAD 10 MORE OF THOSE MOVI.THAT’S SO TE.I FEEL THE SAME WAY WH [BROS]. SOMEONE LIKE EVE LDLEY, WHO’S HYSTERIL THIS—SHE SERV HER OWN THG. SO AS A EDY FAN, I JT WANT THIS TO WORK. BEE THE MORE H STORI, THE BETTER. THEY’RE ALWAYS FUNNY. YOU KNOW, FGERS CROSSED. WHO KNOWS. EVERYTHG IS SO WEIRD RIGHT NOW THEATRILLY. BUT THE MOVIE DO WHAT ’S SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN WE SCREEN . PEOPLE LGH OM START TO FISH. PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED THAT THEY FELT THGS. THAT’S ALL YOU HOPE FOR. KEV FALLON

Macfarlane regniz how far he’s e om then, though—as well as how far media has e, terms of offerg gay men like himself somethg to pe serv up way more lectable optns for LGBTQ folks to sk their teeth to than Donahue did. A cisgenr gay man searchg for himself on screen has a different experience than, say a woman of lor. As such, I n only speak as a gay man, who has both celebrated and been entirely pissed off by different exampl of LGBTQ reprentatn mastream culture, gay and of the time, the attempts lean too much to clich about promiscuy.

They nter themselv and ignore the sex of gay sexualy. And why do this gay character have to be a sat, anyway? ”Billy Eichner’s Gay Rom-Com ‘Bros’ Is as Hilar as It Is HistoricBut the stg asi, there’s somethg different about Bros, at least om my own experience watchg, I intified more wh the two romantic leads than I ever had wh any rom- character I’ve ever watched my life—and I nsir myself a historian on all matters Ephron-Meyers-Marshall (my Holy Try).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ACH OUT AS GAY

Universal PicturAbout a ago, he explas, he starred the Broadway productn of The Normal Heart by Larry Kramer, a screed about the way gay men were emed expendable by a ernment that let them die of AIDS, rather than fund life-savg rearch. Bros may not technilly be Hollywood's first gay love story — films like Makg Love, Jefey and Fire Island all prece — but 's fely Hollywood's rnchit gay love story. Capturg that aspect of ntemporary LGBTQ life is somethg that was important for the film's out gay stars, and sets Bros apart om the typil Apatow/Stoller jot, where the central uple tends to be monogamo."What's fun — pecially for straight dienc — is that whole movie is a throwback to the elements of Apatow movi or romantic edi that we love, but wh this h, new and somewhat provotive perspective," not Eichner.

COMMENTARY: THE REAL LSON OF ‘BROS’: IT’S OK TO LET GAY ART BOMB

(Photo: ©Universal/Courty Everett Collectn)Those scen were also an tn for Stoller, who ps to beg a straight director helmg a gay rom-.

The film is already gettg review bombed on IMDB by homophobic viewers, many of whom haven't even seen the movie, leadg Eichner to rpond on social media.Asked how he feels about the possibily that ter trolls might claim that he's "rptg" Ameri's youth, Eichner says that ship has long sce sailed. (Photo: ©Universal/Courty Everett Collectn)Even as Bros reprents a breakthrough for gay storytellg at the major stud level, Eichner regniz that the muny he's a part of is far more diverse than the whe uple at the heart of the film. Jon and Ldley both cred Glee wh beg one of the first mastream entertaments to expose dienc to the different lors that make up the famo gay pri rabow flag."I am a product of Glee," says Ldley, addg that next barrier Hollywood n break after Bros is a rom- starrg two trans lovers.