The director of Hollywood's first LGBTQ+ romantic comedy has expressed his disappointment that gay men are the 'only people' who came to watch it on its opening weekend.
Starring Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane, the premise of Bros is classic rom-com fare: two people who struggle with commitment have a go at forming a relationship.
It's not a revolutionary nor controversial plot, but the fact that it involves two men at its core marks a first for a rom-com released theatrically by a Hollywood studio.
Bros arrived in theatres in the US on 30 September, with a domestic box office opening of $4.8 million - a surprisingly low figure for a film which has also received an impressive 89 percent on Rotten Tomatoes' critics' and audience score system.
Director Nicholas Stoller spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his thoughts on the unimpressive opening weekend, describing the situation as 'very confusing and a bummer'.
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In relation to a tweet from Eichner, which claimed 'straight people... just didn't show up for Bros', Stoller said data confirmed 'gay men are the only people who saw the movie'.
"It’s not like [Eichner] said something that was a lie or incorrect," he added.
Stoller went on to point out that the film received positive reactions in test screenings; a claim backed by Eichner as he described sneaking in to the back of a sold-out showing and hearing the audience 'howl[ing] with laughter [from] start to finish'.
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"[They] 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.
In spite of these good reactions, Stoller told THR he 'can't say that [he's] happy with how the movie performed'.
"It is very strange just because the movie is so much fun. And as someone who makes comedies for movie theatres — or did until, I guess, this weekend — I love seeing comedies in movie theatres, and people do," he continued.
"It’s almost like people don’t know what’s good for them. I’ve screened the film a lot of times now, and it always screens really well.
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"As I was joking with a friend of mine, it’s an entertainment delivery system. There’s a lot of things going on as to why it might not have done as well as we all hoped.
"But I really like it. I don’t know what to say! It’s just super confusing."
Bros is set to be released in the UK on 28 October.
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Topics: LGBTQ, Celebrity, Film and TV
Emily Brown