Comedian Billy Eichner blames straight people for the disappointing opening-weekend box office for “Bros,” the star’s much-hyped gay romantic comedy.
Mr. Eichner co-wrote and starred in “Bros,” the first gay rom-com to be backed by a major Hollywood studio and get a nationwide theatrical release.
But the film’s $4.8 million box office haul was half of what Universal Studios was expecting on opening weekend, according to Deadline. The poor showing means it’s looking unlikely that “Bros” will turn a profit and eclipse its $22 million budget, according to Variety.
Despite positive reviews and a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, the comedian lamented Sunday on Twitter that “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros.”
In a follow-up tweet he said that “Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight!”
Mr. Eichner has been outspoken about the symbolic importance of his film representing more than the typical Hollywood entertainment product.
He told Out magazine in August that “we need people to go see this movie, gay people and straight people, in order for them, meaning the powers that be in Hollywood, to green-light more movies like this.”
During an address at MTV’s VMA awards that same month, he implored the audience to go watch the movie because “we need to show homophobes like Clarence Thomas and all the homophobes on the Supreme Court that we want gay love stories and we support LGBTQ people and we are not letting them drag us back into the last century because they are past and ‘Bros’ is the future.”