Shocking as it seems, Bros marks a major first in Hollywood. It’s not just the long-awaited first leading role in/with regard to’concerning’regarding Billy Eichner, the comedian who made a name in/with regard to’concerning’regarding himself in hilarious internet comedy series Billy On The Street and livened up many a maintain’sustain ing part in recent years. It’s not just the first live-action film from Foracquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting Sarah Marshall director Nicholas Stoller since 2016’s (underrated) Bad Neighbours 2. No, somehow, it’s the first cinematically-released gay romcom from a major mainstream movie studio… ever. Produced by Judd Apatow – and arriving in the vein of movies he’s helped usher to the screen like Trainwreck, Bridesmaids, and The Big Sick – it’s a huge step in/with regard to’concerning’regarding ward, featuring a near-entire LGBTQ+ cast, and unfolding a love story between Eichner’s podcaster Bobby and Luke Macfarlane’s Aaron.###For Eichner, who co-wrote the movie with Stoller, its arrival feels even more vital in a year where Roe v. Wade has been overturned and the rights of LGBTQ+ individual in the US feel like they could be under threat. Not that it was intended as a political missive. “I never imagined how politically relevant it would be,” says Eichner. If Bros hits enormous’vast’massive’tremendous at the box office as a piece of mainstream entertainment telling an authentic gay love story, he hopes it’ll “send a statement to all these evil, homophobic motherfuckers who want to drag us back to a time when we were scared to be ourselves.”###It’s a far cry from Eichner’s early days in the business, where his expectations were severely tempered. “As I started to make the rounds in Hollywood, the message I was acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting was that the enormous’vast’massive’tremendous gest thing I could aspire to be was maybe the wacky neighbour on a wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile sitcom,” he says. “I merely’barely encountered homophobia in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the first time in my life as an adult in Hollywood. All those dreams I had as a kid, when I didn’t know any better, they now felt impossible.” As leading man and co-writer, he got to shape the direction of Bros along with Stoller – a director who isn’t part of the LGBTQ+ community, but who was keen to acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure this one right. “The film was Nick’s idea,” Eichner explains. “He brought it to me. And there aren’t a ton of openly gay directors who’ve made as many studio comedies as Nick and Judd. This is a new process in/with regard to’concerning’regarding me; I needed someone with a lot of undergo .”###For Stoller, part of his role was keeping Eichner’s faith alive after years of the studios declining to focus on LGBTQ+ narratives. “I don’t claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate he ever believed me when I told him [Universal] would want to do this,” says the director. “It’s like PTSD or something. It’s horrible. I claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate he’s been told ‘no’ so many times that he didn’t believe they’d let us do this. I don’t claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate he believed me until the movie was locked.” And locked the movie is – loaded, too, in/with regard to’concerning’regarding a enormous’vast’massive’tremendous , eye-catching’good-shaped’appealing’charming’fascinating’gorgeous cinematic launch in a few weeks time, and with regards to’concerning’with respect to to send a statement to those evil, homophobic… well, you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure the picture.###Read Empire’s full Bros feature – talking to Eichner, Stoller, Apatow and Macfarlane with regards to’concerning’with respect to their milestone romcom – in the Glass Onion issue, on sale now and available to order online here. Bros hits UK cinemas from 28 October.