It's in the news today, but it was actually on TV Reload the podcast last week Airline Welcome back to TV Reload. My name's Benjamin Norris, and on this podcast I go behind the scenes with the biggest players in television. Each episode you will get a front row seat with content makers like executive producers, writers, directors, editors and casting agents, plus the talent we see on our screen. TV Reload reloads the shows you are currently watching and gives you
a better insight into our television industry and our streaming services. Today. On the podcast, I have Hollywood actors Billy Eichner, Luke McFarland, plus creative director Nick Stoler, who were here to discuss their latest film, Bros. Thanks to the team at Universal Pictures Australia. Bros. Is out at cinemas on the twenty seventh of October and marks the first mainstream gay romcom to ever hit theaters. A lot of the media coverage for this film in Australia and around the world has
been fantastic and very inclusive of the LGBTI community. Yet I will say the most important thing to know going into this film is that it's everything that it says on the box and that My Friends is a very funny film. I was lucky enough to see the film a few months back and have been thinking about it ever since. I wondered, is this film the funniest film I've ever seen? Possibly, and was curious about what this says about the current consciousness of LGBTI people in mainstream media.
The film centers around Billy's characters trials and tribulations in finding love in the gay world, and the director doesn't hide away from a wartz and all dive into the
complexities of dating. In twenty twenty two, we will talk about homophobia in mainstream media, how lucky we are that this film was even made, if there was a conscious decision to have all the characters played by LGBTI actors, and why this was chosen for a cinema release over a streaming service for which people could have watched at home. I will have the actors in first, and then stick around for Nick Stola, the director, as he also gives
a fantastic chat. However, let's get started with today's guests. I'd like to welcome Billy Arkna, Luke mcfollan and Nick Stola. To tav Raylard.
We were very excited for this opportunity and very grateful to be a part of it.
The groundbreaking films during Hilarious Billy Eichner and Luke McFarlane.
From the beginning, universal was like, we've got to do this in theaters.
Gay guys are so stupid, I know, but we've been smart enough to brand ourselves as being smart. I think a lot of complicated feelings are inspired. We need to get people to rethink history through a queer prism. We had a lot of great scenes that we had to cut from the movie.
This is the best.
Interview we've ever had, and we've done so many.
For years, have been intrigued by the idea of romantic comedy about two gay men falling in love.
Hi, boys, welcome to Australia.
Thank you.
I'm a huge fan of Yeah. If I don't say your names, then you both just talk at the same time. You've spent way too much time together.
Yes, yes, we still like each other very very much. Yeah we did.
Yes, well, I'm a huge fan of both of you. Luke. I am am a part of the Scotty one del Fang group on Facebook. So for brothers and sisters, fans out there, they'll understand that.
Thank you, thank you so much.
Yes, and Billy I once got asked to do like a Billy on the Straight s comedy sketch, and I worked out that that type of humor is harder to pull off than people expect.
It is very, very difficult. Yeah.
Every time we have a big celebrity come into Billy on the Street with me, they think it's going to be easy, and then they look at me when we're done and they're like, wow, that is very intense and very difficult.
Yeah.
People, we do a good job of making it look pretty effortless, but an enormous amount of work and energy is put into it.
What has the reception been like for Bros in Australia. I know that you got to screen it in Melbourne last night. Has it been different here to the United States.
Gosh, it's really hard to It's really hard to tell. I think Australians are sort of famous for their sense of humor. I think internationally worldwide we know Australians would be funny, and I think that that comes with the sort of confidence about themselves.
So I feel that so far.
The reception has been more about just like, this movie is really really funny, and coming from an Australian perspective, that is quite a flattering thing to hear, because they take their comedy quite seriously.
Well, what do you think is the funniest response that you've had from fans? I mean, you guys have been touring this film around the world, maybe something interesting or maybe something funny. What something stayed in your mind that someone's come up and told you about the film.
We had a really funny thing that happened on social media this morning. A young gay man who lives in California posted a text thread that he had with his mom, and his mom said, oh, your dad and I are going to see Bros. Today And her gay son said, oh my god, why and she said, oh, we heard it was cute. And then he said, oh, okay, enjoy And then three hours passed and then she texts him are you on Grinder after seeing?
Which I thought was hilarious, very very cute.
And then he texted Billy and said, oh, Billy, what hell have you rot?
Yeah?
He posted on Twitter and he said, Billy, I can know what what fresh hell have you rot?
On my last I love it. I love it. I went and saw a screening a few months back to give Universal Pictures some early feedback, and first off, I have to say, I just genuinely love this film.
Oh thank you, thank you so much.
It's one of the funniest films that I think I've ever seen. I mean, it's kind of like Bridesmaid's funny, you know, where you're not expecting this film to really lift the way that it does. But if you pay your money, which you should, and go and see this film, you're guaranteed to laugh. I don't care who you are.
It's such a funny thing to hear you say that, because it really is. And I also feel like people are so skeptical of people when they say it's actually really funny, because comedy is so personal. But I've sat through the film now like five or six times, and always I get the laughter. You hear the laughter of the audience. So it's very it's very rewarding to hear that, and with sincerity that I'm getting from you that you do find it funny.
You know.
But what I was shocked from from start to finish was that I was in a cinema watching a gay movie that was so reflective of gay men today and so accurate.
Yeah.
Yeah, you kind of don't realize what we've been missing until you watch it on a big screen, you know, because we've had a lot of queer movies over the years. Rom COM's done on the indie level, a lot that are on streaming platforms and things like that. But it is a very unique and powerful experience to watch it on a big screen with other strangers in the room. That's not an experience that as queer people we've had very often. And when when there has been a movie
like that, it's often a very tragic movie. It's very sad. It's about the suffering of being gay and you know, struggle, the struggle of it, and those are all very worthwhile stories to tell. But we don't get many that are just flat out comedies that are uplifting love stories that make.
You laugh a lot.
And I think you don't realize that we haven't gotten that until you're presented with one.
You know, there's no hate fledger moment, you know, that's sad moment where sniffing Jake Gellenhal's jacket because you know, it's so sad but Billy, the reason why Bros. To Me was a film I never thought I would see is because I always felt like I was in a minority that wouldn't allow a motion picture company to take a chance on us.
Yeah, and I think you know, in Hollywood, if no one's done something, there's just more and more fear that grows around doing it and investing in it at a high level, you know. And so we were very excited for this opportunity and very grateful to be a part of it.
It was definitely a long time coming.
So this is a real story from last night I wanted to share with you guys. But I have a small amount of notoriety here in Australia. Some people on the street might often recognize me and come up and talk to me and this straight man. I don't know why my voice is doing that. It's obviously the nerves of how attractive you both are. But this man came up to me and he was like talking in just the usual chitchat interaction, and then he was like, oh, I'm not going to go and see the movie Bros.
He said, you know you're okay. I don't hate gay men, but I don't want to say that in the cinema, and I was shocked and annoyed at this interaction that was taking place in twenty twenty two. And this made me wonder, are we not as far along with mainstream homophobia as we thought we were.
It's so interesting, you know. I often think about, like when memoirs of a Geisha came out in the theater, we didn't go, like, I'm not interested in Geisha stories. They're fine, they can do what they want privately, but gay men is somehow a bridge too far. And I don't know if it's homophobia. I think it's it's just like fear of the unknown and fear of like intimacy. I think like these greater questions of like why it is we're so afraid of intimacy and culture? Why are
we so afraid of people falling in love? Because it's not just essentially the queer story, it's it's it's the romance story. We don't have a lot of romance in the theater right now, and I think that we're a cynical culture and we're moving through a cynical time right now, so we're skeptical of love.
And I think that that's a shame absolutely.
I mean, straight women are going to Straight women love gay movies, so I feel like they're going to go. Straight men might be a little bit apprehensive, but I feel like if they see this film, they will love it. But I'm interested in your thoughts on what do you think is the issue with getting gay white men into a movie theater with a film about gay men. Can some gay men be a little bit problematic in getting them to appreciate the success of other gay men.
Yeah, it's very complicated in that way. You know, we haven't gotten many movies like this, And although things have definitely evolved pretty quickly in the path handful of years in Hollywood in terms of openly LGBTQ people getting to be successful on a major level, that's still a very new concept and it's not an opportunity that's been open
to a ton of people. And I think that as much as you want your community to rally around you and support you and give you the benefit of the doubt, I think there are decades worth of anger and frustration and bitterness and jealousy that has been built up because the opportunities have been so few and far between that when someone comes along and gets that type of opportunity.
I think a lot of complicated feelings are inspired by that person getting that opportunity, or those people getting an opportunity that not many people in that marginalized group have gotten. And I think that's something that we're still all learning to navigate. And I actually think that gay men in general will still have a long way to go in terms of loving themselves and supporting each other.
I would also suggest too, you know, if you are representing sort of gay Australia, that you are just one person, and you are one queer experience, and everyone wants to see themselves. And I think that because you are the only one, you become the embodiment of all queer Australians.
When we are very very colorful collage of people. You know, we have many different perspectives.
Keep telling queer stories, keep finding different people, because there's just so many of us. There's so many great, amazing stories to tell. I think that the story that we do see in Bros. Those reflects a very contemporary gay man and it's very funny to see. Anyway. I've been dying to one pack this with you guys. I've been thinking about Bros. And talking about Bros for months now, so I thank you and everyone who joins my podcast
gets asked this question. What's something from behind the scenes, something that we won't see, you know, kind of like a behind the scenes secret from the making of Bros.
Oh my, a behind the scenes secret.
We had a lot of great scenes that we had to cut from the movie, which hopefully will end up I don't know, online or on DVD or something. We had a scene that I did with a really funny actor, Molly Pancholi, where like these like nipple toys get suctioned onto my bles and won't come off. It was a really funny scene with physical comedy. We had to cut it.
There's a scene where a Pride parade completely falls apart because all the different lgbt Q groups are getting angry at each other ironically, which I wish we could have kept, But hopefully it'll it'll end up somewhere where people can see it.
It'll go on the DVD. Boys. Thank you so much for your time, and thanks to the team of Publicity for organizing this. I really appreciate it, and I hope everyone goes and sees Bros and has a good time.
Thank you for so much.
Thank you, see you boys, Pie, Nick, thank you for coming on the podcast and talking about bros.
Thank you very much.
Nice to meet you. I've been told to look in the camera, so yeah.
That's fine, it's fine. I actually met you once at a test screening for Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Los Angeles, so oh wow. Yeah, so in two thousand and six, I think of also two thousand and seven, so a long time.
Ago, two thousand and seven.
Yeah, And I'm not holding it against you that you don't remember me.
Was I polite when we met or it was so nice.
I was telling you about how much I loved film, and it was a very early screening of it, and it did change a slight bit to what was released. But I was there for one of those you know, those LA screenings where they get the people into a room. Anyway, we're going off on a tangent. I need to talk to you about this film.
I just want to talk about that test screening and what changed.
Oh.
I told so many people about that film, and then when I finally got to see it at the cinemas, there was some things that were a little bit different. But I you know, this is a long time ago, my friend.
So I was, I remember it.
What's it about?
Okay, all right, I've.
Got to get into this.
I'm going to run over time. But anyway, how did this film come about? I'd love to know the early pitch when you got involved.
Sure, it actually started with me. I for years had been intrigued by the idea of romantic comedy about to gay men falling in love and kind of the tone that I do, which is big laughs and then you're sudden, you know, an emotion and all of that. And but I'm straight, so I didn't feel like it was the kind of story I could tell by myself. And I worked with Billy Eichner. I cast him in Neighbors too. I knew him Billy on the street. I knew how
funny he was. He was in Neighbors Too, And then he was in a show that I created with my wife called Friends from College, and he really impressed me with his acting. I was he was a really good actor.
And then we screened the first episode of that show in a movie theater, and every time he was on screen, he destroyed the crowd exploded in laughter, and I was like, Oh, he's the movie star, and so I emailed him and said, hey, would you want to build a romantic comedy around he was kind of a comedy vehicle for you, and he was into the idea and we went from there.
Do you think that now is the time to start telling stories of men in a colloquial way, you know, the familiar conversations that are actually happening, you know, the everyday gay man and who we are instead of twenty twenty two.
Yeah, I mean, I think any story that hasn't been told in this kind of tone, like, it's always fun to see new stories and fresh stories. And I think, you know, I love romantic comedies and I love romance, I love comedy, and so I think telling this kind of story, you know, in this sort of way is
really fun. I don't know, it's a really and it's and it's fresh, and to tell it honestly, I think, you know, we found screening the movie that you know that that regardless whether you're day or straight or whatever, like, people just respond to it just because it's an honest, funny, crazy, crazy movie.
Okay, Well, people recognize this format as like a bridesmaid's type comedy with wider appeal and not just for get. You know, it's not just a gay film for a niche audience. Do you think that's gonna happen?
I think so.
I mean if it if it doesn't happen, and you know, hopefully it happens in theaters. But I think the movies I make tend to have a long life, and they tend to be something. If they don't do exceptionally well in theaters, they people discover them later, whether it be on streaming or peep, you know, video on demand or whatever. And I found that's happened with all my movies. I mean, you know, when you think so, I think everyone ultimately will see this movie just because it's so funny and
it's so fun and it's so romantic. So you know, I'm pretty confident about that, just because it's a super entertaining movie.
Oh absolutely. I mean a good point that you just made. There was the conversation that must have happened about its distribution. What was Was there a reason for not taking it straight to a streaming service but instead releasing it in cinema?
It was always it was always gonna be in theaters. There's something So there's nothing more fun than being in a theater laughing together, and particularly this movie, when you have a big crowd laughing and also falling very silent, Like there's a very dramatic scene in the movie where you could hear a pin drop in the theater and I would often hear people going ah and that kind of thing, and it's just a very human and fun
experience to get to do that. And so and from the beginning, Universal was like, we've got to do this in theaters. And I think also honestly, from a financial standpoint, it helps the movie. It helps it have legs even after that, even after it goes onto streaming and after you know, there are certainly people who will who will
hear about the movie. We'll read reviews and we'll say and we'll hear people who went to the theater and said, I love this movie and might be like, I don't want to get a baby for this, but I'm gonna watch it when it's on video and demand, you know, which I think is a different kind of way of getting this sort of thing out there. But you know, most movies are in theaters for like one percent of their life and then are in every other format for nine to nine percent. It's going to do really well
on laser disc. Yeah, I thought like it's gonna be a big laser disc movie.
I'm going to sound like Nicole Kibben from the AMC commercial, but I love the community of theater like I love the community of being in a room and the laughing and that sense of enjoyment, you know. And I feel like this movie we would have been robbed had we not have had that experience. I mean, I cannot remember the last movie that everyone was laughing as much as they were watching Grows.
Oh thank you.
Yeah, it's been years, it really has. It's I mean, in the pandemic extended it by even more. And I think people forget how much fun it is to laugh at a movie and to be in a movie theater laughing altogether. It's a party. It feels like a party, you know. And if there aren't romantic comic in movie theaters, then people will stop going on dates, and then they won't be having sex, and then there won't be any more humans. So it's not just about movies in theaters.
What was some of the hurdles in getting this made? Was there any censorship from the paper, financing, it.
No, there wasn't any universal It's why I've directed all my movies there. They really understand comedy, and they, you know, their notes tend to be can the ending be better or can the third act turn doesn't make sense? Or you know, they're much more about the story. They don't second guess comedy. They know that, like I know what
I'm doing, They know Billy knows what he's doing. They know judnah, So they're never gonna be like this joke isn't funnier that they know that we like, first of all, we probably know what we're doing, and we also know they know that we're gonna test the jokes and if the joke doesn't get a laugh or it doesn't work, then we'll pull it out of the movie. So it's never about you know, they never said like this part's
too gay or that's going too far. They knew that we would find that line or whatever you know naturally, you know, and that playing it within the tone that we've done everything we've done, that that would work so so and they were on board right away. You know, the length of time, the reason it took so long was due to COVID. You know, we were about to shoot this movie in March of twenty twenty, but and we had to delay obviously, like the rest of the world.
Was there a lot of gay actors wanting to be in this film and was there a conversation that characters needed to be played by gay actors?
Yeah, I mean from the beginning, and this was also from the studio, which is really bold of them, because you know, there just aren't really many gay movie stars.
They were like they were, and we also agreed and wanted for the Aaron characters to be played by a gay actor, and that's partially just it felt like the right thing to do for the movie, but also literally the joke in the film about straight people playing gay characters would not have worked if the give Aaron had been been played by a straight actor, it would have just been confusing. And then very quickly we were like, oh, the entire cash to be LGBTQ. And again that's something
that was it felt appropriate for the film. But it's also the secret weapon of any comedy is talent. You haven't before people being you know, and there's certainly a lot of actors like Jim rash Or Dot Marie Jones who have been around, but maybe haven't had this sort of stage in which to do their comedy. And then there's new voices like Eve Lindley, who's like a comedy genius. She's so funny, and getting to discover those kinds of
people are what make comedies work so well. You know, when you think about Melissa McCarthy and Bridesmaid, it's like that was this huge discovery and so exciting for people. And I think it's one of the reasons people laugh so hard at this movie. They're like, who are these people? They're so funny?
Well, mate, I could literally talk to you all day, and honestly, I really wish that I could, because I think that you are a genius and what it.
Is that you do.
What is something? This is something everyone gets on the podcast. What's something from behind the scenes, something that we won't say. It's kind of like a behind the scenes moment from your time making bros.
Behind the scenes, like something I cut from the movie or just an experience I had making something.
The fans would be like, oh my god, I can't like that happened while they'm making this, So have you got anything for me?
Oh boy?
It was?
I mean, honestly, except for the COVID thing. It was except for having to follow COVID protocols, it was pretty It was a pretty smooth shoot.
I'll say this.
The Steve sequence we had to shoot in like two hours, which is very fast to have to shoot something. And that sequence and people who will see the movie will on the same way mean Steve sequence ends up killing but we weren't sure as we were shooting if we were like, we have no time to shoot this this set piece, and so that was one of those sequences that was like I was, I was nervous about it as we were shooting, just didn't have enough time. But
then that guy brock really who plays Steve, was so funny. Yeah, I'm trying to think there wasn't. It was a pretty like, uh, drama free production. So I can't really think of an and it was just it was honestly just a real delight to get to make it. The whole the whole experience was really nice. So I don't I don't know if I think of anything, I'll let you know, up very bad at stories about the movies.
You know, I just said, you're one of the best funniest storytellers of old time, and then you finished the plodcast beause I'm not very good at telling store no, I'm very bad.
I also am really I don't remember jokes. I literally don't remember jokes. One was like Sally joke, I'm like, I don't know.
Thank you, Thank you so much for being able to be here and talk about Bros. I am a huge fan of the film and I can't wait for the rest of the world to see it. I feel like it's that film like Bridesmaids for me that I'll keep rewatching.
Oh that's awesome to hear. Thank you so much.
Amazing, have a fun time in Australia talking to everyone. I'm sure they've all been very welcoming.
Yes, it's been lovely.