Billy Eichner reflected on the lackluster box office debut for Bros, the landmark romantic comedy he starred in and co-wrote.
In a series of tweets posted on Sunday, Eichner discussed how Bros, his groundbreaking LGBTQ romantic comedy, elicited a range of emotions from moviegoers in a sold-out showing in Los Angeles, despite its poor box office showing.
Eichner also pointed out that Rolling Stone heaped praise on the film.
Eichner went on to not that despite the film’s stellar reviews, audiences failed to show up, calling it “disappointing.”
“Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast!” Eichner added.
On Monday, Eichner added, “Box office, as we all know, has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of a movie. And tweeting about a movie you haven’t actually seen is meaningless. That’s just twitter bullshit. The majority of people who see Bros really love it! Go check it out and see for yourself!”
Per Deadline, Bros is estimated to earn $4.8 million, below expectations. Jim Orr, the studio’s domestic distribution boss, spoke highly of what he believed to be “the funniest film of the year,” adding, “As evidenced by our very enthusiastic audience and critical reaction scores, which will no doubt lead to great word of mouth as Bros continues to find its audience in the coming weeks.”
Bros is the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio, and a big leap forward for Eichner, who has long been one of the most exciting talents in American comedy. Perhaps sensing that his tweets may have offended some, Eichner later apologized for his previous tweets.
“Being an openly gay man and a loud and proud part of the LGBTQ+ community is one of the things I am most proud of in my whole damn life,” he wrote. “And from the bottom of my heart I truly am so sorry if I inadvertently offended or insulted anyone. I really am. Thank you.”
