Bros, the upcoming film from Universal Pictures, is a romantic comedy about two gay men with commitment problems who find love when they least expect it. The project features the first openly gay man to co-write and star in his own major studio film. For writer and star Billy Eichner, this was the only way to make a genuine film.
“The studio, Nick [Stoller], Judd [Apatow]. Everyone said from the beginning it has to be authentic,” said Eichner in a featurette for the film. Part of that authenticity meant casting another openly gay actor as Eichner’s love interest, and the result was Luke Macfarlane as Aaron. After that decision, Eichner turned to director Nicholas Stoller and said, “Everyone in the cast should be openly LGBTQ.”
The diverse cast includes Ts Madison, Monica Raymund, Guillermo Díaz, Guy Branum, Bowen Yang, Harvey Fierstein, Jim Rash, Miss Lawrence, and Amanda Bearse. Judd Apatow, who serves as a producer on Bros, said: “So many people deserve to be seen who hadn’t been seen. They’ll be tons of new faces that people fall in love with.”
In Bros, Eichner plays Bobby Lieber, a neurotic and indecisive museum curator who’s hired to create a romantic comedy about a gay couple. Through this process, he meets Aaron (Macfarlane), a “macho” lawyer who takes an interest in Lieber. While the men appear to be complete opposites, they both complement each other’s flaws, and the two eventually fall in love.
Stoller directs from a script he co-wrote with Eichner. Bros is in theaters on September 30.
