‘Bros’ star Billy Eichner said it was ‘disappointing’ to see the film’s box office results

“Bros” actor Billy Eichner said over the weekend that it was “disappointing” to see the lack of support for the romantic comedy he wrote — which follows the story of two gay men — after it struggled in its box office debut.

“Bros” was in fourth place among films this weekend after $4.8 million, according to Box Office Mojo. Horror film “Smile” dominated with $22 million.

Eichner, 44, tweeted on Sunday that he was “SO proud of this film” and mentioned some of its early accolades, but said: “Even with glowing reviews, great Rotten Tomatoes scores, A CinemaScore, etc., straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros. And that’s disappointing, but it is what it is.”

“Everyone who AREN’T homophobic freaks should go see BROS tonight!” he added.

The film follows the story of two men – Bobby, played by Eichner, and Aaron, played by actor Luke Macfarlane – who fall in love with each other despite their commitment issues. The film also has an “all-LGBTQ+ main cast,” Universal Pictures said.

Eichner, who said Universal was the first openly gay man to write and star in his own major studio film, acknowledged the importance of the film’s cast and encouraged people to see it.

“You’re going to have a great time! And it’s* special and uniquely possible to see this particular story on a big screen, especially for queer people who don’t get that opportunity often. I love this movie so much,” she said.

In an interview for “CBS Sunday Morning” with CBS News correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti ahead of the film’s release, Eichner discussed why he thinks it’s taken so long for Hollywood to release a film like “Bros.”

“Well, the real answer to that is that the world, including Hollywood, was very homophobic,” Eichner said. “And it’s a complicated issue, because in some ways Hollywood has led the charge when it comes to LGBTQ issues and representation. And yet, underneath it all, I think there’s always been a fear that audiences who haven’t had the quote-unquote mainstream necessarily ready for these kinds of movies. And I think because of that, a lot of our stories haven’t been told.”