NO, IT ISN’T: Hollywood’s Latest Box Office Bomb Is Your Fault, According to Billy Eichner.

[“Bros”] is a Billy Eichner comedy that was loudly and proudly touted as the first gay rom-com from a major studio. Universal gave this a significant push, beginning with a wide release of showings in 3,350 theaters. Advertising began in the early summer, and Eichner was a fixture on the talk show circuit. Online, television, and streaming outlets all were targets for commercial time, as the studio bet big on this title. The movie had a shooting budget of around $20 million, but estimates have Universal backing it with up to an additional $40 million for promotions.

All signs pointed to a favorable result. Advance word has been hot, and the critics have given it a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 91 percent positive. Exit scores from audiences have been strong, with an “A” grade. Yet, all of that advanced push generated no momentum. Pre-release estimates had the movie generating a box office return of between $12-$20 million. Instead, “Bros” debuted in 4th position this weekend, drawing a meager $4.8 million.

There’s a reason films with niche appeal get smaller budgets: They generate smaller returns than movies with mass appeal. Hollywood spent big bucks on a niche film, then blamed mass audiences for not showing up.

It’s enough to make you wonder if Hollywood isn’t happy to lose a bit of money on pictures like Bros, as an opportunity for moral preening at the flyover rubes who won’t buy tickets.