Bro, Seriously?
Bro, Seriously?
Billy Eichner, star of Universal's gay romantic comedy, Bros, was, shall we say, a little disappointed in the $4.8 million opening weekend for the film. So much so that he took to Twitter, a great place to emote, with this fine explanation:
Everyone who ISN’T a homophobic weirdo should go see BROS tonight! You will have a blast! And it *is* special and uniquely powerful to see this particular story on a big screen, esp for queer folks who don’t get this opportunity often. I love this movie so much. GO BROS!!! ❤️🌈
9:31 PM ∙ Oct 2, 20229,335Likes453Retweets
Now, I know how hard it is when something you pore your whole heart and soul into doesn't quite strike it with audiences. However, blaming it on homophobia in the audience strikes me as a tad overdone. Yes, there is homophobia in the country, and there probably always will be (evil does, in fact, exist.) But painting with that broad of a brush, while being very 2022, misses what I think was the more significant factor: Universal just dropped the ball with the marketing of this movie.
If we go back to the initial trailers, it seemed like Universal had a funny romantic comedy except with two dudes, but at a certain point, the campaign shifted, and it started hitting hard on how this movie is " important" and "groundbreaking." I agree with Matt Belloni: "Audiences don't want comedies to be important; they want them to be funny." I think Universal eventually realized their biff and started cutting spots that were very joke focused, which is pretty standard in the closing weeks of the campaign, but a strategic shift usually only occurs when you have a panic because tracking is in the toilet. This is what most likely happened at Universal.
I also think this brings something else we've often discussed at the Brew: The Bubble Mentality. Remember, the problem with Hollywood is everyone works behind gates and lives behind gates, and most of the audience does not. When execs, particularly marketing execs, start producing materials to induce them and their friends to go to the movie, you know you've lost the plot. Universal got caught up in the inherent desire on the coasts to be down with the woke. The problem is that it isn't your audience. They get bombarded with those messages constantly, and when they walk into a theater to see a comedy, they want to forget all that, turn off their brain, and laugh their asses off. I think Bros could have been that film, but marketing decided to take it in a different direction, turning off the audience. Thus, I believe Billy Eichner's anger is misplaced.
Comedies, along with horror, are still better in the theater than anywhere else. However, this result will most likely push studios to debut their comedies on streaming. Some would argue that this would have been a good strategy for Bros, but I believe we need to do all we can to keep the lifeblood in theatrical. Pushing everything onto streaming isn't going to accomplish that goal. I'm under no illusions that streaming is not a part of the future but can also exist in the same ecosystem as theatrical. Universal and Warner Bros have shown it can be successful with Halloween Kills and The Batman, respectively. I see no reason those successes can't be replicated with the right films. That said, Bros is a case where the studio got stuck in "the bubble" behind their gates and forgot the most important part: the audience.
Smile and Put on that Happy Face
Contra the Bros bomb with the Smile success, Paramount Marketing continues its absolutely fantastic 2022 run. Granted, they did have a bit of a miss with Paws of Fury, but overall, they are crushing it. If they finish 2022 by launching Babylon, they'll have had a year for the record books. It does seem they are off to a great start with that campaign. Kudos again to Marc Weinstock and his team for keeping the mojo going. Full disclosure: aside from Weinstock, I have a couple of good former Foxer friends over at Paramount, so it makes my heart glad that they are doing so well this year. However, marketing is only part of the story here.
Apparently, Brian Robbins is responsible for pushing for a Smile theatrical release. Do you all remember that news from "The Trades" when Robbins replaced patron movie saint Jim Gianopolous? The gist was Robbins was being brought to help Paramount+ and push more content to that service over theatrical. Word on the street was Jim G was too slow to embrace the new world order; he is passionately devoted to theatrical, so Shari Redstone pushed him out for Brian. Robbins doesn't seem to be the streaming savior that was expected. He seems to be an exec not so devoted to streaming but committed to doing what is best for the movie and the company. We'll see if that continues to be the story, but thus far, Robbins has proven to be an able steward of Paramount.
Pages from the Commonplace Book
This week, we turn to oft-forgotten President Calvin Coolidge. He was president during the roaring twenties, an era of unprecedented growth and expansion, especially after the Great War and the Spanish Flu. He doesn't have the regard of a George Washington or the flashy coolness of a Barak Obama. In fact, he was a president I think some of us would love to have these days. His nickname, after all, was Silent Cal. The following excerpt is from Coolidge's October 6, 1925 speech in Omaha, Nebraska, entitled: "Toleration and Liberalism."
"At the foundation of every strong and mature character we find this trait which is best described as being subject to discipline. The essence of it is toleration. It is toleration in the broadest and most inclusive sense, a liberality of mind, which gives to the opinions and judgements of others the same generous considerations that it asks for its own, and which is moved by the spirit of the philospher who declared that "To know all is to forgive all." It may not be given to infinite beings to attain that ideal, but it is none the less on toward which we should strive."
As many of you know, I am a firm believer in the Mark Twain adage that history doesn't repeat but often rhymes. Coolidge's words are as relevant today as they did when he spoke them in 1926. History can teach us much, as can those who have come before us.
This Week on Hollywood Breaks
Tim and I will tackle Apple's Emancipation release, an exciting test for their new film marketing head, Dylan Wiley, and we'll chat more about Peacock and the "allocation of resources" that could lead to a very interesting future for NBCU. Subscribe, so you don't miss out.
Get The Founder’s Brew weekly to your inbox. Subscribe here!
