Posted on 10/10/2022 4:26:52 AM PDT by Cronos
Director Nicholas Stoller: 'It's almost like people don’t know what’s good for them'
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
Now there's a phrase that sums up perfectly what leftists really think about the rest of us. No room for differing opinions. If you don't agree with them, there's something wrong with you.
I wouldn't watch this movie in a million years. That being said, I do remember hearing a lot about Brokeback Mountain (which I never saw either), so I looked it up and saw that it made nearly $180M. I really wish someone would ask this director if the public as a whole was really so anti-gay, how did Brokeback make that much money?
Maybe his movie just sucks.
*** This movie was relentlessly promoted. Near everybody knew about it and nobody went. If that isn’t a clear rejection nothing is.***
Not even the gay community want to see it, or maybe there aren’t as many gays as they keep trying to us there are. I found this gem deep within the article.
“The dismal numbers still show most gay Americans chose other movie options last weekend.”
So it sounds like after 2 weekends, it’s a huge bust even within their own community. We know it will win awards though. Cr** like this always does.
“They are mistreating our youth in the schools”
Good point. I’d say they need to be not mistreated by normal society. Advertising, demonstrating or teaching their lifestyle to youngsters should be kicked out by normal society.
I think most gays just want to have a peaceful life and have a few friends — just what I want.
Actually, it is precisely BECAUSE we know what’s good for us. And we know that four men buggering each other isn’t.
Stop using common sense to explain this fiasco.
If I wanna see faggots in action I can go down to the bath house in a nearby city and watch them go in...anticipating fun...and coming out having been infected with a dozen rare,and incurable,diseases.
If people are staying away because of the subject matter and they are biased as the director alleges, then how do you explain the overwhelming commercial success of the Bird Cage.
Perhaps, because the Bird Cage was delivering humor without the lectures.
This whole thing is a marketing stunt to get people talking about the movie. I doubt it was the original plan, but this is what they're running with. The woke scolding in this case is probably the funniest part of the movie because the director actually believes his own press.
So long as the movie is in the news, it has a case to make to the theaters to keep it running, and in theory get people to either buy tickets or to have it get promoted whe it hits HBO and Netflix.
With regard to "prom queen effect", I am referring to the fact that whenever a boy puts on a dress for his high school prom, he is automatically made prom queen and lauded as a brave hero by the school faculty. Other boys are branded as bigots for not doing at least one dance with him and the actual girls have to just keep their mouths shut about it.
In some cities they used a Poster for Brokeback Mountain showing the main character with his wife and baby, in order to trick people.
“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.“
People do know what’s good for them. That’s why they don’t want to pay to watch cavorting faggots in a movie.
DUH! Low box office numbers means people are not buying tickets.
A theater is not a proctology office. I do not need my bowels examined. Especially since I am perfectly happy with my bowels just the way they are. Thank you very much but no thanks.
If there are as many gays as they always claim there are, how come they didn’t flock to the theaters to watch it? My guess is that there really aren’t anywhere near the number as they claim, maybe only a 10th of what they claim.
Imagine that joke being said today. You’d be blacklisted for life.
That’s is so true. When I see two men hugging and kissing, it turns my stomach. Stopped watching New Amsterdam when they showed two guys rolling around in bed. I refuse to watch it. Hallmark is going that route so they will be off my list of movies to watch also.
[raises hand] Count me among the multitude of people who never heard of this film until the complaining over opening weekend revenues started by this little faggot.
Maybe I just pay scant attention to entertainment culture, but I didn't even see it in the regular news. If it was relentlessly promoted, the promoters did a horrible job.
Keep in mind that these are the same people who try to guilt-trip normals for saying they would never even consider "dating" a "transgender" person. So, we're "transphobic," when even homosexuals by huge margins don't want to date them.
You'd think that if 20% of the population is "LGBTQ" as recent fake stats have reveals, they would have had a blockbuster opening. Not even the pervert "community" is supporting this.
How many movies to you see in the theater? I go to like two movies a year in the theater and it was previewed at both of them. They spent $40 million promoting it, supposedly.
I'd like to think that you are correct, but failure to indoctrinate never stopped these degenerates from their mission to fully "queer" society before. I'm convinced they have massive underwriting by well-heeled queer billionaires, and probably partly by government/taxpayers. Otherwise the market would determine viability.
As it is, this film will join the other "gay"-themed bombs which will be standard fare in annual "gay" film festivals in, as you say, back-alley artsy theaters.
Don’t assume that he was actually surprised by the movie’s disappointing box office. Complaining afterwards is a way of getting publicity, keeping the movie in the news, and guilting some people into seeing it. It also gives him a reputation in Hollywood as someone willing to go out on a limb, and that can come across as not a bad thing if the industry approves of the cause.
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