‘Bros’ Director Blasts Audiences for Film’s Box Office Failure
Nicholas Stoller: 'It's almost like people don’t know what’s good for them'
If anyone could bring comedy back to the cineplex, it’s Nicholas Stoller.
The writer/director previously delivered hits like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek,” “The Muppets” and “Neighbors.”
Now, with theatrical comedies on life support, Stoller is back with “Bros.” The gay rom-com follows two stubbornly single souls (Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane) who fall in love despite themselves.
And audiences are staying far, far away from the film.
The film infamously earned $4.8 million on its opening weekend, a far cry from its $22 million budget and reported $30-40 million marketing costs.
Hollywood news outlets have been wringing their hands over the film’s failure since last weekend. Now, the far-Left Hollywood reporter is asking Stoller and “Bros” co-star Guy Branum what explains the box office results.
Branum claims his marketing ideas were roundly rejected by Universal, the studio behind the film. Stoller struggles to process the movie’s commercial misfire, citing critical raves for the film (89 percent “fresh” at Rotten Tomatoes) and positive test screenings.
![Bros | Official Trailer [HD]](https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/wp-content/plugins/wp-youtube-lyte/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FBQIeBB9XMe8%2F0.jpg)
Eichner blamed the straight community for ignoring his film (he co-wrote the screenplay with Stoller). Stoller confirms Eichner’s comments, citing data privy to Universal. The dismal numbers still show most gay Americans chose other movie options last weekend.
The director trotted out other reasons for the film’s failure, including his assertion that Hollywood has “trained” audiences not to see comedy in theaters.
That’s certainly not true of the pre-woke era. Comedies routinely crashed the $100 million mark at the U.S. box office. Think:
- “Bridesmaids” ($169 million)
- “The Hangover 1, 2 and 3” ($277 million, $254 million, $112 million, respectively)
- “Step Brothers” ($100 million)
- “Ted” ($218 million)
- “22 Jump Street” ($191 million)
- “Neighbors” ($150 million)
- “Pitch Perfect 2 and 3” ($184 million, $104 million, respectively)
Stoller partially blames audiences for not seeking his film out.
“It is very strange just because the movie is so much fun. And as someone who makes comedies for movie theaters — or did until, I guess, this weekend — I love seeing comedies in movie theaters, and people do. It’s almost like people don’t know what’s good for them. [emphasis added]”
Stoller turned his wannabe franchise “Neighbors” into a woke affair, hiring two female screenwriters to bolster its feminist bona fides. That sequel, “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising,” made $95 million less than its predecessor, killing the franchise in the process.
What the “Bros” director doesn’t realize is how the culture is to blame for “Bros” failure. Big screen comedies can no longer entertain like they once did. Even tepid fare like “Snatched” and “Get Hard” endure withering reviews for being “problematic.”
That mindset handcuffs artists, reducing the jokes they can tell in the process. Even far-Left comics like “Desus & Mero” self-censor for fear of Cancel Culture fallout.
It’s also why “Hangover” director Todd Phillips left the genre to direct 2019’s “Joker.”
Stoller ignores how too many Hollywood stars alienate potential audiences. Eichner is a prime example, using his Twitter account and public appearances to excoriate anyone with whom he disagrees on politics.
Billy Eichner Calls Out Supreme Court “Homophobes” at VMAs: “We Are Not Letting Them Drag Us Back Into the Last Century” https://t.co/yQK5pu6J76
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) August 29, 2022
Plus, audiences are exhausted by the Left’s weaponizing culture in every forum possible. That “Bros” trailer suggests the film is more of the same, mocking straight people, extolling an LGBTQ+ museum subplot and proudly sharing characters engaged in a “throuple.”
The “Bros” director’s comic timing remains on-point throughout his new film. He might want to step outside his Hollywood bubble, though, to understand why so many Americans, both straight and gay, didn’t line up to see “Bros.”
lol! Great strategy. When you make a crappy film that bombs, blame the public. What a friggin’ self-centered baby.
The age old adage… Go woke, go broke.
A movie so backwards, even hays don’t watch it.
So gay people are homophobic for not watching it?
These backward replies are say a lot about where we are in this country. This film unfortunately believed we were more evolved. Sad.
You realize that gay folks didn’t go see it either?? But sure, it’s everyone else’s fault for not wanting to see a gay orgie on the big screen. How much do we need to flagellate ourselves to be “evolved”? Even better question – DID YOU PAY TO SEE IT IN THEATERS ON OPENING WEEKEND? Yeah, didn’t think so.
OR the film is made by and for sodomites and there is no reason for any NORMAL person to see it! Since nothing can come from male homosexuality OTHER THAN BROWN STAINED SHEETS, most normal people don’t want to see it even if they “tolerate” it theoretically.
Hahaha I’m surprised your comment even got through, these right-wing snowflakes have to approve everything that gets posted. Classic.
Ironic comment, considering that evolution requires heterosexuality for reproduction and advancement of the species.
Audiences don’t know what’s good for them. What an arrogant thing to say.
Well I saw Bro and Smile and I didn’t care for either one. So I am going today to see Black Adam…I NEVER go wrong with Dewayne Johnson!! Hubba hubba
Given this “site” caters to “The Right,” which claims to hate everything “HOLLYWOOD” and then some, not much hope for this “article,” or anyone on this “site,” but it is pretty obvious that a “romantic comedy” is not a money maker anymore (barely was before) as they are traditionally for straight white women, and releasing it right before Halloween when people expect to see horror movies like Smile didn’t seem to be the best studio decision. The marketing should have also been more savvy to attract a wider audience (the line about “remember straight people” is pretty cringe) and they also didn’t seem to understand that while Billy Eichner does have a few fans, he is very divisive and a lot of people refuse to see anything he’s involved in. It probably would have done much better with an early May release with better marketing, downplaying Eichner and upselling the comedy of it, to make it seem more slapstick like Stiller’s previous movies.
Odd since there are comments from people who are gay and also supporters of lbqtvabc123 that also bash the movie and director… hmmmm
What too many gays fail to acknowledge is straight people do not find graphic male sex scenes entertaining. Quite the opposite. Call it Ryan Murphy syndrome. Learn the hard way. Excuse the pun. Now that IS funny.
Not only straight people also gay people don’t like to go to movies and watch porn case closed
And the millions of gay people maybe don’t like seeing male /female sex in films either, thou that’s whats been presented most of our lives, I saw the film, i enjoyed it.. but some of the scenes are real-ish for some of our conunity , straight people have 3 ways too lol..
People have been threatened to be tolerant of lifestyles they believe are inappropriate, but to now call out people for not spending their time and income to watch something like this is asking for trouble. Seeing 2 guys going down on another guy isn’t most people’s idea of a romantic movie.
I agree. It’s not really a “romantic movie”. It’s almost straight GAY PORN. I’m surprised it was released at movie theaters. If this is truly a gay man’s lifestyle, I would invest in TROJAN!
Homophobia does not mean one is afraid of homosexuals, it means they are DISGUSTED by them. I wouldn’t pay to see it on the screen.
So, I never heard of this movie because there was no marketing, but I am a homophobe for not watching it? Well I am certainly not watching it now.
Would you be surprised to learn they apparently spent 30-million on marketing? I remember seeing commercials for it, but as the premier date approached, nada. I have a feeling they new it was a sinking ship weeks before the preview and just decided to eat it.
Everyone knew this was going to flop. It only got made so that the guys at the studio could brag about their woke bonafidea at the next abortion fundraiser.
What’s next, a comedy about transexual pedophiles?
DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS.
Nope. Nope. Nope. Watched the trailer. That’s not funny. Eichner’s not funny in ANYTHING. He’s worse than Will Farrell. This isn’t a romcom, it looks like a horrible parody of the lgbt+ ad infinitum lifestyles. Why drop $100 on tickets and snack bar to see this when I can go bar hopping in WEHO any night of the night of the week and catch the same thing?
Our theater on suburban Long
Island was as empty as has been reported. Guess what? It was boring. It gave me a headache. My husband said that if he wanted to watch a self hating gay Jew scream for two hours, he could have stayed home.
This comment is funnier than the movie.
Okaaaa!
I watched in suburban long island too. My theater wasn’t empty but it was quiet. The movie wasn’t bad but I don’t know that is watch it again. Your husband’s comments were funny and accurate though.
You won the internet. Congrats!
Ur very funny. Maybe u could write a movie!
I’m an ally to LGBTQ, but they’re handling this whole thing poorly. I didn’t go bc I don’t care for rom coms in theaters. I’ll watch them at home. I don’t feel I should be guilted into watching a floundering genre, which is much to do with its failure than the content.
Came here to say this.
I love Billy Eichner and I am obsessed wotn Billy on the Street. I think he’s super fun to watch and I also watched his other show (and liked it).
However: 1) I have NEVER seen a trailer for this film, even though I know it exists because of Twitter, etc. 2) I haven’t had a desire to see ANY movie in a theater lately (post pandemic. And 3) because Billy and his director have been on FULL BLAST blaming everyone for not seeing it! This reeks of desperation, and it’s gross. Maybe spend more money on marketing, I don’t know.
Im an ally to the LBDT community. Mine stands for long bed diesel truck… yours?
I find effeminate men naturally funny. Their mannerisms and behavior make me laugh, but I’m not going to go out and pay for that entertainment, especially when it bashes normal people. What the hell did this idiot expect?
Notwithstanding everyone saying they aren’t a homophobe there are a lot of homophobes commenting. One comment was that the movie “bashes” “normal” people . This implies that gays are abnorma. Another comment was that if watching gay sex would make him “vomit.”
Sounds a lot like homophobia to me.
Ok, I am gay, but I agree with almost everything said about this movie. Am I homophobic? I was one of the unfortunate few that saw this colonoscopy of a movie in the theater. It was just bad. It wasn’t funny, it wasn’t even clever. It was an hour and a half long virtue signal. Pedantic. Contrived. Not at all funny.
Either way, I haven’t read a single homophobic comment on here. Not one. That usage of the word “normal” simply points to the majority. It was not a statement that suggested being gay was abnormal. If there are two ways that I can get to work, and I typically choose one over the other, that is the normal route. It doesn’t make the other one “abnormal”. I will admit that “vomiting” is a bit extreme, probably hyperbolic, but who cares? People don’t have to like watching me kiss my boyfriend. I don’t like watching straight couples kiss, either.
A word of advice for young people: stop finding reasons to be offended. I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so I faced actual adversity. Not like kids today, who fall to pieces any time they are “triggered”. I used to be called a fag or a queer and then get beat up. We did not have a word for being highly offended by petty transgressions. I am not thrilled with the way I am represented by this new community, the LGBTQ+ thought police. You shouldn’t be either. And you should think for yourself. Just because a gay man makes a movie about gay men, doesn’t mean you can’t be critical of it, or expect it to actually be funny. Not enjoying the movie, does not make someone homophobic. Even if the movie wasn’t condescending and rhetorical, and was actually funny, it still would not be incumbent on people to like it or want to see it.
Not paying to see an unfunny movie about a romance between to men. Vomiting is not pleasant.
I agree
That is just homophobic in a Big Way. So you could watch Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan fall in love but you can’t stomach 2 men falling in love. Love is Love.
Wrong…two gay men may not enjoy seeing a male and a female kiss…does that make them hetrophobic…we like what we like. Stop taking everything personal
Feel free to jump up and down and cry “homophobe!” at all who just aren’t into watching two men grope each other. Too bad. Judging by the box office results, perhaps more than a few others feel the same way. Bummer.
It’s not necessarily the love and romance. There’s just too much sex in the movie. I wouldn’t want to watch a movie scene where two gays are having sex just like how a gay person would be disinterested/uncomfortable watching a scene where straight people are having sex. My friend is straight but even she sometimes gets uncomfortable seeing nudity in films. It’s ok for gays to have sex but that doesn’t mean I want to see it.
I could watch Robin Williams in Bird Cage, no problem. I could watch Tom Hanks in Philadelphia, no problem. I could watch Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, no problem.
Billy Eichner is not funny and is actually quite grating. On top of that, the trailer was unfunny.
Bible discusses adam and eve… not steve
Billy Eichner is a thoroughly annoying and unfunny person. I don’t care what movie he does. I’m not watching it.
Truth! My introduction to Billy Eichner was him yelling on the street on TV yelling yelling yelling! Does he honestly think that just because he’s gay everyone Has to like him or Approve of his movie. You’re not getting a free pass for me especially if your movie doesn’t appeal to me! i’m not homophobic I just have good taste!
It was a good film thou, ad a gay man I appreciated it…
Good for you. You’re the audience to which the movie was targeted. However, I have a few gay and lesbian friends, and they either have no interest or didn’t like it.
When a movie is designed to appeal to 3-4% of the population, what did producers think would happen?!?
I’m a gay man too. It has some funny moments but overall I wouldn’t recommend it. Eichner’s character and his take on gay men kind’a turned me off.
If you don’t want to see me take up the [bleep] you’re a homophobe is not the best marketing strategy.
So let me understand this? The director is blaming the audience for not seeing his horribly unfunny movie?
No, it’s funny. But how can you know you only saw the trailer.
Considering the point of a trailer is to convince audiences to see a movie, if the trailer for a comedy is not funny, then it’s perfectly safe to assume the movie isn’t either. The jokes in the trailer ranged from flat to needlessly insulting, so what reason does anyone have to think the movie will be any better? Given the dismal box office performance across all audience segments, including it’s supposed core audience, I’d say that assumption is born out.
A trailer is meant to give a glimpse and interest someone. If it cant do that then why bother with the rest. Surprised you didnt know the point if a trailer….
You haven’t seen the movie, but it’s horribly unfunny? Critic’s praise it but it’s horribly unfunny? Stfu and get off the internet.
Critics rate by a set of criteriam not the same way a casual viewer does. Hence the MANG movies with high critic and low viewer ratings and vice versa. Stfu and get off of everything. Your opinion is yours and yours alone. Not everyone has to and evidently does not, agree
Critics do not view it and rate it the same as a casual viewer. Sorry. Your arguement loses.
If a critic was to give it a bc review the alphabet mafia would attack them as homophobic. Of course they gave it good reviews so as to appease the alt left
Critics praised LaLaLand too. That was garbage put to film. Do you think woke critics opinions reflect those of regular folks?
The only reason critics praised it is because it was LGBTQ IA plus. I mean literally recently a transwoman was on a talent show is she’s also deaf and mute and tried singing Whitney Houston and sounded like a monster and she still got applause. Basically how you cheer on kids in theater or sports even though they’re terrible
We can apply a Yogi Berra comment when he was asked about poor fan turn out at baseball games. “If people aren’t coming to the show, who’s going to stop them.”
That wasn’t anywhere in the marketing materials. Who said that????
Oh right. A straight dude.
You clown.