Billy Eichner is making a gay romantic comedy for Universal. Entitled Bros, it’s about two men with commitment issues who attempt to enter a relationship with one another. The movie is slated to be released August 12, 2022.
Besides taking a lead role, Eichner, 42, will executive produce the movie and is co-writing the script with director Nicholas Stolle (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him To The Greek). Judd Apatow will serve as producer.
Eichner first signed a deal with Universal to make the movie back in 2019, but a title and release date was only confirmed on Friday.
Related: Billy Eichner shades Kirstie Alley for her Twitter tantrum over not being able to discriminate
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Eichner spoke Variety back in 2019 about being the first openly gay man to write and star in a major studio movie.
“I’m honored that it’s me, but it should have been someone else 30 or 40 years ago,” he said. “I hear people talking about diversity and inclusion, but I often see gay people left out of those conversations. The comedy community, which has always been such a straight man’s game, has not been kind to openly gay men.”
Although there have been dozens of LGBTQ-themed love stories from independent moviemakers, it’s only recently that the bigger studios have begun to make romances with queer leads.
The 2018 comedy-drama Love, Simon, about a High School student exploring his sexuality, was distributed by 20th Century Fox and proved a box office hit. This has been followed in the last couple of years by a rash of same-sex-centered holiday movies. Kristen Stewart and Mackenzie Davis starred in Happiest Season, which was expected to receive a theatrical release it not for the pandemic (it ended up on Hulu instead).
On Friday, Eichner took to social media to announce details of the movie.
“I’M MAKING A MOVIE!!!! Coming to a theater near you Aug 12, 2022! In shocking news, BROS will be the first rom-com about gay men ever produced by a major studio and, apparently, I’m the first openly gay man to ever write and star in their own studio film. Only took 100 years! THANKS HOLLYWOOD!!!”
Also, fuck my manager in 2006 who told me to be less gay because a big agent was coming to my show. FUCKKKKKKK YOUUUUUUU!!!Ok I’ll shut up now.
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) March 5, 2021
He added in a second tweet, “Also, fuck my manager in 2006 who told me to be less gay because a big agent was coming to my show. FUCKKKKKKK YOUUUUUUU!!!”
Related: Billy Eichner and Kate McKinnon run around New York convincing people she’s Reese Witherspoon
Eichner made a name for himself with the comedic Billy On The Street, in which he accosts New Yorkers, often with a celebrity in tow. He voiced the meerkat Timon in Disney’s recent Lion King remake and will soon appear as Matt Drudge in American Crime Story: Impeachment.
There’s no word yet on who else will be appearing in Bros.
dhmonarch89
Str8 rom coms always have very handsome guys in the leads- Gosling, Tatum, McConaughey, Dempsey, etc. It’s like when str8 guys do drag in comedy- they always look awful so other str8 guys aren’t attracted to them…. I guess they don’t want str8 women falling for them or str8 guys getting attracted. There are plenty very Handsome out gay actors who could star in this. And as for 1st to write and star in…didn’t Rupert Evert do that?
dhmonarch89
or maybe it was Eichner’s ego- casting himself.
Heywood Jablowme
You’re tough to please. Billy is hot.
Although that’s not the best pic of him. What’s with his hair?
Cam
A studio finally does a movie like this and you’re jumping in to attack it.
Charlie in Charge
Well I’m assuming there will be at least two more prominent gay roles (the love interest and the love-triangle antagonist).
Who did you have in mind?
Catholicslutbox
They’re probably focusing more on the com and less on the rom.
He’ll probably cast Matt as his romantic interest.
dhmonarch89
oh please- ALL gay audiences are hard to please! Look at the boycotts that ensue if there isn’t nudity or a sex scene- both Bohemian Rhapsody and the Elton John movie were scurtinized and forced to comply.
Even though I can’t stand Matt Bomer, he’d be a better choice than Billy and maybe Luke Evans, Colton Haynes- all 3 better actors than Billy and far better looking.
Cam
@dhmonarch89
Oh please, those movies weren’t “Boycotted”, there were complaints that the Freddie Mercury movie had been sanitized, and that the ads focused on the marriage to his beard.
Elton John complained about the movie possibly editing the love scene in his movie for the same reason. Because TV will show couples in bed, but gay movies turn the characters into platonic clowns.
But you seem to want to be negative on this movie, and apparently on LGBTQ people in general.
dhmonarch89
no Cam- just you.
cameronpeak
Hi, I found a great site for single men who are looking for a partner! I recommend to visit -> xmeet.fun
Cam
@dhmonarch89
Wasn’t me you were lying about. It was the entire group. But keep trying.
Terrycloth
I cannot stand Billy..the nano second I see 5his loud mouthed unfunny thing on TV. I can’t change the channel.fast enough…him and another im a star Andy Cohen..never stfu……
dhmonarch89
exactly.
charlietex
This movie was scheduled to film in Buffalo last spring when the pandemic hit. I wonder if they’re still going to film it there?
JPP
Perhaps actual research should be done instead of relying on Mr. Eichner’s self-aggrandizement given it’s not quite true. The rom-com Jeffrey long predates Eicher’s self-worship. It was produced in 1995 by Orion, a part of MGM, which means it’s a major studio.
As Wikipedia notes:
“Jeffrey is a 1995 American gay romantic comedy film directed by Christopher Ashley. It is based on a play depicting the life and times of Richard Jeffrey by Paul Rudnick, who also wrote the screenplay.”
It included Steven Weber, Olympia Dukakis, Gregory Jbara, Nathan Lane, Kathy Najimy, Sigourney Weaver and Christine Baranski.
When it comes to self-aggrandizement it is hard to beat Hollywood and politicians.
Cam
And nothing since.
Selverd
“ Orion Classics started in 1982 as the distribution label for the then independent film production company Orion Pictures, now owned by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was relaunched in 2018.”
Saying that counts as a “major studio” is stretching it.
Digby70
Neither Steven Weber nor Michael T. Weiss, the romantic leads in Jeffrey, are (openly) gay so that was part of his point as well.
BaltoSteve
And if some would research even further, MGM acquired Orion in 1997. Which means Jeffrey wasn’t from a major Hollywood studio.
Selverd
People should watch his role on AHS: Cult, he’s done more than “Billy on the street.”
AZ71
Let’s see. A film called BROS and its a “rom-com” by Judd Apatow. I just have a feeling this is gonna be full of gay jokes and not really anything worthwhile.
SaintRock
Gay Jokes…..so what. American Males are represented as the biggest cliche’ jokes on Rom Coms and TV ads….. Str8 men are insulted as Sports obsessed, Bigger is better TV …all that matters is ‘the game the game’ and appear stupid on any culture references. Beer beer beer thirsty always. so stereotypes are always joked about and I am not saying it is right. It is what I see. This Gay bashing by Gays is so pathetic.
Karrnal
I lost all respect and all interest in Billy, who I’m pretty much unaware of anyway, when I saw the clip of him attempting to be clever in a street interview with a savvy woman who’d never heard of him. He immediately becomes insulting, and when she walks away he calls her the B-word while dripping venom. No more Billy for me.
Selverd
It’s not that serious.
Cam
So which is it. You didn’t know who he was, or you lost your respect for him?
BaltoSteve
I’ve seen his work in AHS. Not a fan, however, I don’t hate him either. Just ambivalent.
Now this gay rom-com called “Bros.” I honestly don’t have high hopes for it. I have a suspicion that it is going to rife with toxic masculinity. I hope I am wrong, but that’s what the title evokes.