WEBVTT - YOUR BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FEATURE FILM 'BROS!' 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:01.720 It's in the news today, but it was actually on 0:00:01.800 --> 0:00:04.960 TV Reload the podcast last week Airline Welcome back to 0:00:05.000 --> 0:00:08.080 TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast 0:00:08.119 --> 0:00:11.320 I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:14.240 Each episode you will get a front row seat with 0:00:14.400 --> 0:00:19.720 content makers like executive producers, writers, directors, editors and casting agents, 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:22.840 plus the talent we see on our screen. TV Reload 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.040 reloads the shows you are currently watching and gives you 0:00:26.079 --> 0:00:30.640 a better insight into our television industry and our streaming services. Today. 0:00:30.680 --> 0:00:34.320 On the podcast, I have Hollywood actors Billy Eichner, Luke McFarland, 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.599 plus creative director Nick Stoler, who were here to discuss 0:00:37.680 --> 0:00:41.200 their latest film, Bros. Thanks to the team at Universal 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:44.440 Pictures Australia. Bros. Is out at cinemas on the twenty 0:00:44.479 --> 0:00:48.160 seventh of October and marks the first mainstream gay romcom 0:00:48.159 --> 0:00:51.000 to ever hit theaters. A lot of the media coverage 0:00:51.000 --> 0:00:53.120 for this film in Australia and around the world has 0:00:53.159 --> 0:00:57.560 been fantastic and very inclusive of the LGBTI community. Yet 0:00:57.560 --> 0:00:59.600 I will say the most important thing to know going 0:00:59.680 --> 0:01:02.360 into this film is that it's everything that it says 0:01:02.440 --> 0:01:04.759 on the box and that My Friends is a very 0:01:04.800 --> 0:01:07.440 funny film. I was lucky enough to see the film 0:01:07.440 --> 0:01:09.720 a few months back and have been thinking about it 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:12.759 ever since. I wondered, is this film the funniest film 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:16.160 I've ever seen? Possibly, and was curious about what this 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:20.479 says about the current consciousness of LGBTI people in mainstream media. 0:01:20.880 --> 0:01:24.080 The film centers around Billy's characters trials and tribulations in 0:01:24.120 --> 0:01:26.880 finding love in the gay world, and the director doesn't 0:01:26.959 --> 0:01:29.280 hide away from a wartz and all dive into the 0:01:29.280 --> 0:01:32.480 complexities of dating. In twenty twenty two, we will talk 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:36.000 about homophobia in mainstream media, how lucky we are that 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:39.200 this film was even made, if there was a conscious 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:42.800 decision to have all the characters played by LGBTI actors, 0:01:43.200 --> 0:01:46.360 and why this was chosen for a cinema release over 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:49.160 a streaming service for which people could have watched at home. 0:01:50.000 --> 0:01:52.200 I will have the actors in first, and then stick 0:01:52.200 --> 0:01:55.320 around for Nick Stola, the director, as he also gives 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:59.440 a fantastic chat. However, let's get started with today's guests. 0:01:59.520 --> 0:02:02.640 I'd like to welcome Billy Arkna, Luke mcfollan and Nick Stola. 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:03.880 To tav Raylard. 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:09.359 We were very excited for this opportunity and very grateful 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:10.280 to be a part of it. 0:02:10.360 --> 0:02:14.600 The groundbreaking films during Hilarious Billy Eichner and Luke McFarlane. 0:02:15.800 --> 0:02:17.760 From the beginning, universal was like, we've got to do 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:18.400 this in theaters. 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:21.160 Gay guys are so stupid, I know, but we've been 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:24.280 smart enough to brand ourselves as being smart. I think 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:28.079 a lot of complicated feelings are inspired. We need to 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:30.960 get people to rethink history through a queer prism. We 0:02:31.000 --> 0:02:32.640 had a lot of great scenes that we had to 0:02:32.680 --> 0:02:33.480 cut from the movie. 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:34.600 This is the best. 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:37.200 Interview we've ever had, and we've done so many. 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:39.720 For years, have been intrigued by the idea of romantic 0:02:39.760 --> 0:02:41.959 comedy about two gay men falling in love. 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:44.760 Hi, boys, welcome to Australia. 0:02:45.160 --> 0:02:45.639 Thank you. 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:50.120 I'm a huge fan of Yeah. If I don't say 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:52.280 your names, then you both just talk at the same time. 0:02:52.600 --> 0:02:54.120 You've spent way too much time together. 0:02:54.800 --> 0:02:57.760 Yes, yes, we still like each other very very much. 0:02:57.800 --> 0:02:58.280 Yeah we did. 0:02:58.360 --> 0:03:00.920 Yes, well, I'm a huge fan of both of you. Luke. 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.400 I am am a part of the Scotty one del 0:03:03.480 --> 0:03:06.320 Fang group on Facebook. So for brothers and sisters, fans 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:07.960 out there, they'll understand that. 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:09.640 Thank you, thank you so much. 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:12.560 Yes, and Billy I once got asked to do like 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.040 a Billy on the Straight s comedy sketch, and I 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.080 worked out that that type of humor is harder to 0:03:17.120 --> 0:03:18.760 pull off than people expect. 0:03:19.120 --> 0:03:21.080 It is very, very difficult. Yeah. 0:03:21.480 --> 0:03:23.720 Every time we have a big celebrity come into Billy 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:25.160 on the Street with me, they think it's going to 0:03:25.200 --> 0:03:26.679 be easy, and then they look at me when we're 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:30.600 done and they're like, wow, that is very intense and 0:03:30.720 --> 0:03:31.440 very difficult. 0:03:31.600 --> 0:03:31.799 Yeah. 0:03:31.840 --> 0:03:33.960 People, we do a good job of making it look 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:38.120 pretty effortless, but an enormous amount of work and energy 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:39.200 is put into it. 0:03:39.720 --> 0:03:42.680 What has the reception been like for Bros in Australia. 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:44.680 I know that you got to screen it in Melbourne 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:48.800 last night. Has it been different here to the United States. 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:51.640 Gosh, it's really hard to It's really hard to tell. 0:03:52.800 --> 0:03:55.560 I think Australians are sort of famous for their sense 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:59.839 of humor. I think internationally worldwide we know Australians would 0:03:59.840 --> 0:04:01.440 be funny, and I think that that comes with the 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:03.080 sort of confidence about themselves. 0:04:03.120 --> 0:04:05.840 So I feel that so far. 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:08.560 The reception has been more about just like, this movie 0:04:08.600 --> 0:04:11.600 is really really funny, and coming from an Australian perspective, 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:13.920 that is quite a flattering thing to hear, because they 0:04:13.920 --> 0:04:15.240 take their comedy quite seriously. 0:04:15.360 --> 0:04:17.240 Well, what do you think is the funniest response that 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:18.920 you've had from fans? I mean, you guys have been 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:22.560 touring this film around the world, maybe something interesting or 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:24.800 maybe something funny. What something stayed in your mind that 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:26.679 someone's come up and told you about the film. 0:04:27.160 --> 0:04:29.400 We had a really funny thing that happened on social 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:33.560 media this morning. A young gay man who lives in 0:04:33.560 --> 0:04:37.080 California posted a text thread that he had with his mom, 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:40.240 and his mom said, oh, your dad and I are 0:04:40.240 --> 0:04:44.159 going to see Bros. Today And her gay son said, 0:04:44.200 --> 0:04:46.840 oh my god, why and she said, oh, we heard 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:50.320 it was cute. And then he said, oh, okay, enjoy 0:04:50.400 --> 0:04:52.960 And then three hours passed and then she texts him 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:55.800 are you on Grinder after seeing? 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:59.000 Which I thought was hilarious, very very cute. 0:04:59.120 --> 0:05:01.640 And then he texted Billy and said, oh, Billy, what 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:02.800 hell have you rot? 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:03.599 Yeah? 0:05:03.680 --> 0:05:05.560 He posted on Twitter and he said, Billy, I can 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:07.719 know what what fresh hell have you rot? 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:09.599 On my last I love it. I love it. I 0:05:09.640 --> 0:05:11.880 went and saw a screening a few months back to 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:14.800 give Universal Pictures some early feedback, and first off, I 0:05:14.839 --> 0:05:18.239 have to say, I just genuinely love this film. 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:20.360 Oh thank you, thank you so much. 0:05:20.760 --> 0:05:22.400 It's one of the funniest films that I think I've 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:24.800 ever seen. I mean, it's kind of like Bridesmaid's funny, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:28.200 you know, where you're not expecting this film to really 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:30.080 lift the way that it does. But if you pay 0:05:30.120 --> 0:05:32.760 your money, which you should, and go and see this film, 0:05:32.760 --> 0:05:35.040 you're guaranteed to laugh. I don't care who you are. 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:37.000 It's such a funny thing to hear you say that, 0:05:37.080 --> 0:05:40.040 because it really is. And I also feel like people 0:05:40.040 --> 0:05:42.920 are so skeptical of people when they say it's actually 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:45.680 really funny, because comedy is so personal. But I've sat 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:48.159 through the film now like five or six times, and 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:51.680 always I get the laughter. You hear the laughter of 0:05:51.680 --> 0:05:54.440 the audience. So it's very it's very rewarding to hear that, 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:57.839 and with sincerity that I'm getting from you that you 0:05:57.839 --> 0:05:59.080 do find it funny. 0:05:59.400 --> 0:05:59.599 You know. 0:05:59.640 --> 0:06:01.920 But what I was shocked from from start to finish 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:04.480 was that I was in a cinema watching a gay 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:07.880 movie that was so reflective of gay men today and 0:06:08.000 --> 0:06:08.920 so accurate. 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:09.560 Yeah. 0:06:09.640 --> 0:06:12.360 Yeah, you kind of don't realize what we've been missing 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:14.560 until you watch it on a big screen, you know, 0:06:14.680 --> 0:06:18.479 because we've had a lot of queer movies over the years. 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:21.880 Rom COM's done on the indie level, a lot that 0:06:21.920 --> 0:06:24.120 are on streaming platforms and things like that. But it 0:06:24.200 --> 0:06:27.080 is a very unique and powerful experience to watch it 0:06:27.080 --> 0:06:30.240 on a big screen with other strangers in the room. 0:06:30.320 --> 0:06:33.520 That's not an experience that as queer people we've had 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:35.880 very often. And when when there has been a movie 0:06:35.880 --> 0:06:39.000 like that, it's often a very tragic movie. It's very sad. 0:06:39.040 --> 0:06:42.719 It's about the suffering of being gay and you know, struggle, 0:06:42.880 --> 0:06:45.560 the struggle of it, and those are all very worthwhile 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:47.880 stories to tell. But we don't get many that are 0:06:47.920 --> 0:06:51.880 just flat out comedies that are uplifting love stories that make. 0:06:51.760 --> 0:06:52.479 You laugh a lot. 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:55.000 And I think you don't realize that we haven't gotten 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:56.719 that until you're presented with one. 0:06:57.040 --> 0:06:59.360 You know, there's no hate fledger moment, you know, that's 0:06:59.360 --> 0:07:02.359 sad moment where sniffing Jake Gellenhal's jacket because you know, 0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:06.039 it's so sad but Billy, the reason why Bros. To 0:07:06.080 --> 0:07:07.800 Me was a film I never thought I would see 0:07:07.839 --> 0:07:10.280 is because I always felt like I was in a 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:13.640 minority that wouldn't allow a motion picture company to take 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:15.080 a chance on us. 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.240 Yeah, and I think you know, in Hollywood, if no 0:07:18.240 --> 0:07:21.040 one's done something, there's just more and more fear that 0:07:21.160 --> 0:07:24.680 grows around doing it and investing in it at a 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:28.720 high level, you know. And so we were very excited 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.400 for this opportunity and very grateful to be a part 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:31.680 of it. 0:07:31.680 --> 0:07:33.280 It was definitely a long time coming. 0:07:33.560 --> 0:07:35.360 So this is a real story from last night I 0:07:35.360 --> 0:07:37.880 wanted to share with you guys. But I have a 0:07:38.000 --> 0:07:40.520 small amount of notoriety here in Australia. Some people on 0:07:40.520 --> 0:07:42.800 the street might often recognize me and come up and 0:07:42.840 --> 0:07:45.640 talk to me and this straight man. I don't know 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:47.400 why my voice is doing that. It's obviously the nerves 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:50.880 of how attractive you both are. But this man came 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:52.880 up to me and he was like talking in just 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:56.240 the usual chitchat interaction, and then he was like, oh, 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:58.360 I'm not going to go and see the movie Bros. 0:07:58.440 --> 0:08:02.120 He said, you know you're okay. I don't hate gay men, 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:05.960 but I don't want to say that in the cinema, 0:08:06.000 --> 0:08:08.680 and I was shocked and annoyed at this interaction that 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.280 was taking place in twenty twenty two. And this made 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:15.480 me wonder, are we not as far along with mainstream 0:08:15.520 --> 0:08:16.960 homophobia as we thought we were. 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.040 It's so interesting, you know. I often think about, like 0:08:20.920 --> 0:08:23.520 when memoirs of a Geisha came out in the theater, 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:27.240 we didn't go, like, I'm not interested in Geisha stories. 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:30.120 They're fine, they can do what they want privately, but 0:08:30.200 --> 0:08:32.839 gay men is somehow a bridge too far. And I 0:08:33.440 --> 0:08:37.440 don't know if it's homophobia. I think it's it's just 0:08:37.480 --> 0:08:40.439 like fear of the unknown and fear of like intimacy. 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:43.400 I think like these greater questions of like why it 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:45.800 is we're so afraid of intimacy and culture? Why are 0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.280 we so afraid of people falling in love? Because it's 0:08:48.320 --> 0:08:51.560 not just essentially the queer story, it's it's it's the 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:54.560 romance story. We don't have a lot of romance in 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:57.680 the theater right now, and I think that we're a 0:08:57.679 --> 0:09:00.439 cynical culture and we're moving through a cynical time right now, 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.600 so we're skeptical of love. 0:09:02.760 --> 0:09:04.960 And I think that that's a shame absolutely. 0:09:05.080 --> 0:09:07.240 I mean, straight women are going to Straight women love 0:09:07.280 --> 0:09:08.760 gay movies, so I feel like they're going to go. 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:11.679 Straight men might be a little bit apprehensive, but I 0:09:11.679 --> 0:09:14.000 feel like if they see this film, they will love it. 0:09:14.440 --> 0:09:16.920 But I'm interested in your thoughts on what do you 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:19.600 think is the issue with getting gay white men into 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:24.439 a movie theater with a film about gay men. Can 0:09:24.520 --> 0:09:26.880 some gay men be a little bit problematic in getting 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:29.679 them to appreciate the success of other gay men. 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:31.959 Yeah, it's very complicated in that way. You know, we 0:09:32.360 --> 0:09:36.040 haven't gotten many movies like this, And although things have 0:09:36.080 --> 0:09:39.200 definitely evolved pretty quickly in the path handful of years 0:09:39.200 --> 0:09:43.160 in Hollywood in terms of openly LGBTQ people getting to 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:45.800 be successful on a major level, that's still a very 0:09:46.080 --> 0:09:49.720 new concept and it's not an opportunity that's been open 0:09:49.800 --> 0:09:53.000 to a ton of people. And I think that as 0:09:53.080 --> 0:09:55.560 much as you want your community to rally around you 0:09:55.640 --> 0:09:58.280 and support you and give you the benefit of the doubt, 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:04.360 I think there are decades worth of anger and frustration 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:08.720 and bitterness and jealousy that has been built up because 0:10:08.760 --> 0:10:12.480 the opportunities have been so few and far between that 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:15.960 when someone comes along and gets that type of opportunity. 0:10:17.120 --> 0:10:21.560 I think a lot of complicated feelings are inspired by 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:24.680 that person getting that opportunity, or those people getting an 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:29.600 opportunity that not many people in that marginalized group have gotten. 0:10:31.840 --> 0:10:34.320 And I think that's something that we're still all learning 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:37.640 to navigate. And I actually think that gay men in 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:39.679 general will still have a long way to go in 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.320 terms of loving themselves and supporting each other. 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:44.400 I would also suggest too, you know, if you are 0:10:44.440 --> 0:10:48.520 representing sort of gay Australia, that you are just one person, 0:10:49.080 --> 0:10:52.040 and you are one queer experience, and everyone wants to 0:10:52.080 --> 0:10:54.360 see themselves. And I think that because you are the 0:10:54.360 --> 0:10:59.240 only one, you become the embodiment of all queer Australians. 0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:02.480 When we are very very colorful collage of people. You know, 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:04.480 we have many different perspectives. 0:11:05.040 --> 0:11:09.120 Keep telling queer stories, keep finding different people, because there's 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.640 just so many of us. There's so many great, amazing 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.040 stories to tell. I think that the story that we 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:18.319 do see in Bros. Those reflects a very contemporary gay 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:21.679 man and it's very funny to see. Anyway. I've been 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:24.080 dying to one pack this with you guys. I've been 0:11:24.120 --> 0:11:27.559 thinking about Bros. And talking about Bros for months now, 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:31.800 so I thank you and everyone who joins my podcast 0:11:31.840 --> 0:11:34.080 gets asked this question. What's something from behind the scenes, 0:11:34.160 --> 0:11:35.880 something that we won't see, you know, kind of like 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:38.280 a behind the scenes secret from the making of Bros. 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:41.400 Oh my, a behind the scenes secret. 0:11:41.840 --> 0:11:43.560 We had a lot of great scenes that we had 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:45.760 to cut from the movie, which hopefully will end up 0:11:46.480 --> 0:11:50.160 I don't know, online or on DVD or something. We 0:11:50.200 --> 0:11:52.360 had a scene that I did with a really funny actor, 0:11:52.400 --> 0:11:57.640 Molly Pancholi, where like these like nipple toys get suctioned 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:00.160 onto my bles and won't come off. It was a 0:12:00.200 --> 0:12:02.760 really funny scene with physical comedy. We had to cut it. 0:12:03.120 --> 0:12:06.640 There's a scene where a Pride parade completely falls apart 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.800 because all the different lgbt Q groups are getting angry 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.959 at each other ironically, which I wish we could have kept, 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:16.559 But hopefully it'll it'll end up somewhere where people can 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:16.960 see it. 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.000 It'll go on the DVD. Boys. Thank you so much 0:12:19.000 --> 0:12:20.960 for your time, and thanks to the team of Publicity 0:12:20.960 --> 0:12:24.160 for organizing this. I really appreciate it, and I hope 0:12:24.160 --> 0:12:26.320 everyone goes and sees Bros and has a good time. 0:12:26.679 --> 0:12:27.679 Thank you for so much. 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:31.080 Thank you, see you boys, Pie, Nick, thank you for 0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.679 coming on the podcast and talking about bros. 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:34.679 Thank you very much. 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.680 Nice to meet you. I've been told to look in 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:39.240 the camera, so yeah. 0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:40.920 That's fine, it's fine. I actually met you once at 0:12:40.920 --> 0:12:43.760 a test screening for Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Los Angeles, 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:46.400 so oh wow. Yeah, so in two thousand and six, 0:12:46.440 --> 0:12:48.040 I think of also two thousand and seven, so a 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:48.600 long time. 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:49.679 Ago, two thousand and seven. 0:12:49.760 --> 0:12:51.439 Yeah, And I'm not holding it against you that you 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:52.160 don't remember me. 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:57.560 Was I polite when we met or it was so nice. 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.400 I was telling you about how much I loved film, 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.520 and it was a very early screening of it, and 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:05.080 it did change a slight bit to what was released. 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:06.840 But I was there for one of those you know, 0:13:06.840 --> 0:13:10.960 those LA screenings where they get the people into a room. Anyway, 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:12.640 we're going off on a tangent. I need to talk 0:13:12.679 --> 0:13:13.680 to you about this film. 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:15.520 I just want to talk about that test screening and 0:13:15.520 --> 0:13:16.160 what changed. 0:13:17.400 --> 0:13:17.559 Oh. 0:13:17.640 --> 0:13:21.600 I told so many people about that film, and then 0:13:21.600 --> 0:13:23.520 when I finally got to see it at the cinemas, 0:13:23.559 --> 0:13:25.520 there was some things that were a little bit different. 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:27.400 But I you know, this is a long time ago, 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:27.839 my friend. 0:13:27.880 --> 0:13:29.840 So I was, I remember it. 0:13:29.880 --> 0:13:30.400 What's it about? 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:33.840 Okay, all right, I've. 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:34.280 Got to get into this. 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:37.520 I'm going to run over time. But anyway, how did 0:13:37.559 --> 0:13:40.960 this film come about? I'd love to know the early 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:42.600 pitch when you got involved. 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.120 Sure, it actually started with me. I for years had 0:13:46.120 --> 0:13:48.520 been intrigued by the idea of romantic comedy about to 0:13:48.960 --> 0:13:50.680 gay men falling in love and kind of the tone 0:13:50.679 --> 0:13:53.280 that I do, which is big laughs and then you're sudden, 0:13:53.280 --> 0:13:55.800 you know, an emotion and all of that. And but 0:13:56.000 --> 0:13:57.800 I'm straight, so I didn't feel like it was the 0:13:57.880 --> 0:14:01.240 kind of story I could tell by myself. And I 0:14:01.320 --> 0:14:03.240 worked with Billy Eichner. I cast him in Neighbors too. 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:04.640 I knew him Billy on the street. I knew how 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:06.840 funny he was. He was in Neighbors Too, And then 0:14:06.880 --> 0:14:08.440 he was in a show that I created with my 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:11.400 wife called Friends from College, and he really impressed me 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:13.400 with his acting. I was he was a really good actor. 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.720 And then we screened the first episode of that show 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.040 in a movie theater, and every time he was on screen, 0:14:19.640 --> 0:14:22.600 he destroyed the crowd exploded in laughter, and I was like, Oh, 0:14:22.600 --> 0:14:25.400 he's the movie star, and so I emailed him and said, hey, 0:14:25.400 --> 0:14:27.280 would you want to build a romantic comedy around he 0:14:27.320 --> 0:14:28.880 was kind of a comedy vehicle for you, and he 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:30.600 was into the idea and we went from there. 0:14:30.760 --> 0:14:33.040 Do you think that now is the time to start 0:14:33.120 --> 0:14:36.760 telling stories of men in a colloquial way, you know, 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:40.120 the familiar conversations that are actually happening, you know, the 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.920 everyday gay man and who we are instead of twenty 0:14:42.960 --> 0:14:43.440 twenty two. 0:14:43.760 --> 0:14:46.080 Yeah, I mean, I think any story that hasn't been 0:14:46.320 --> 0:14:49.640 told in this kind of tone, like, it's always fun 0:14:49.680 --> 0:14:52.680 to see new stories and fresh stories. And I think, 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:55.760 you know, I love romantic comedies and I love romance, 0:14:55.800 --> 0:14:57.920 I love comedy, and so I think telling this kind 0:14:57.920 --> 0:15:01.480 of story, you know, in this sort of way is 0:15:02.360 --> 0:15:04.200 really fun. I don't know, it's a really and it's 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:06.520 and it's fresh, and to tell it honestly, I think, 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:08.760 you know, we found screening the movie that you know 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.680 that that regardless whether you're day or straight or whatever, like, 0:15:11.680 --> 0:15:14.920 people just respond to it just because it's an honest, funny, crazy, 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:15.760 crazy movie. 0:15:16.320 --> 0:15:20.840 Okay, Well, people recognize this format as like a bridesmaid's 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:25.040 type comedy with wider appeal and not just for get. 0:15:25.120 --> 0:15:27.040 You know, it's not just a gay film for a 0:15:27.120 --> 0:15:28.880 niche audience. Do you think that's gonna happen? 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:29.680 I think so. 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:32.120 I mean if it if it doesn't happen, and you know, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:35.640 hopefully it happens in theaters. But I think the movies 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.080 I make tend to have a long life, and they 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:40.600 tend to be something. If they don't do exceptionally well 0:15:40.600 --> 0:15:43.520 in theaters, they people discover them later, whether it be 0:15:43.560 --> 0:15:47.160 on streaming or peep, you know, video on demand or whatever. 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:49.640 And I found that's happened with all my movies. I mean, 0:15:50.120 --> 0:15:51.960 you know, when you think so, I think everyone ultimately 0:15:52.080 --> 0:15:54.040 will see this movie just because it's so funny and 0:15:54.080 --> 0:15:57.760 it's so fun and it's so romantic. So you know, 0:15:57.840 --> 0:15:59.960 I'm pretty confident about that, just because it's a super 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:00.960 entertaining movie. 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:03.280 Oh absolutely. I mean a good point that you just made. 0:16:03.320 --> 0:16:06.760 There was the conversation that must have happened about its distribution. 0:16:07.280 --> 0:16:09.320 What was Was there a reason for not taking it 0:16:09.360 --> 0:16:12.880 straight to a streaming service but instead releasing it in cinema? 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.280 It was always it was always gonna be in theaters. 0:16:15.320 --> 0:16:18.240 There's something So there's nothing more fun than being in 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:22.320 a theater laughing together, and particularly this movie, when you 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:27.360 have a big crowd laughing and also falling very silent, 0:16:27.400 --> 0:16:29.320 Like there's a very dramatic scene in the movie where 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:31.520 you could hear a pin drop in the theater and 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:33.840 I would often hear people going ah and that kind 0:16:33.880 --> 0:16:37.800 of thing, and it's just a very human and fun 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:40.280 experience to get to do that. And so and from 0:16:40.280 --> 0:16:42.200 the beginning, Universal was like, we've got to do this 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.400 in theaters. And I think also honestly, from a financial standpoint, 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:48.520 it helps the movie. It helps it have legs even 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:50.560 after that, even after it goes onto streaming and after 0:16:50.680 --> 0:16:52.800 you know, there are certainly people who will who will 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:55.000 hear about the movie. We'll read reviews and we'll say 0:16:55.160 --> 0:16:56.920 and we'll hear people who went to the theater and said, 0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.400 I love this movie and might be like, I don't 0:16:59.440 --> 0:17:00.880 want to get a baby for this, but I'm gonna 0:17:00.880 --> 0:17:02.200 watch it when it's on video and demand, you know, 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:03.720 which I think is a different kind of way of 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:05.720 getting this sort of thing out there. But you know, 0:17:05.800 --> 0:17:08.720 most movies are in theaters for like one percent of 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:11.119 their life and then are in every other format for 0:17:11.160 --> 0:17:12.760 nine to nine percent. It's going to do really well 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:15.399 on laser disc. Yeah, I thought like it's gonna be 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:17.520 a big laser disc movie. 0:17:17.880 --> 0:17:20.919 I'm going to sound like Nicole Kibben from the AMC commercial, 0:17:21.000 --> 0:17:23.760 but I love the community of theater like I love 0:17:23.800 --> 0:17:27.640 the community of being in a room and the laughing 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:31.160 and that sense of enjoyment, you know. And I feel 0:17:31.240 --> 0:17:35.080 like this movie we would have been robbed had we 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:38.520 not have had that experience. I mean, I cannot remember 0:17:38.920 --> 0:17:42.000 the last movie that everyone was laughing as much as 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:43.560 they were watching Grows. 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:44.560 Oh thank you. 0:17:44.640 --> 0:17:47.040 Yeah, it's been years, it really has. It's I mean, 0:17:47.160 --> 0:17:49.760 in the pandemic extended it by even more. And I 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:53.000 think people forget how much fun it is to laugh 0:17:53.040 --> 0:17:54.560 at a movie and to be in a movie theater 0:17:54.640 --> 0:17:57.800