Bros is one of those movies that seemed to slip through the cracks for a lot of people. The 2022 movie did underperform during its opening weekend but the co-writer and star of the film, Billy Eichner, has shown nothing but pride for the work. While on a press tour for the big Disney blockbuster, Mufasa, the Parks and Rec alum shared his insights into the hidden gem, and the legacy it has.

The Billy on the Street star sat down with Josh Horowitz, of the Happy Sad Confused podcast to talk about some highlights of his career, including the LGBTQ+ romantic comedy. When asked about his feelings about the movie, The Lion King actor shared that he’s still proud of its comedy caliber and realistic portrayal of middle-aged gay men beyond a caricature. Eichner said:

The movie does really showcase some of the more detailed inner workings of a gay relationship honestly and realistically. I agree with Eichner that it's hard to make a good movie that’s funny and speaks to real relationships. Bros has the power within its storytelling to have the potential to impact young people for the better, especially those who are seeking out LGBTQ+ representation.

The Difficult People alum went on to share that it remains one of the greatest achievements of his life. And it isn’t due to streaming numbers but rather people who connected with the movie and shared their experiences with its star.

While it doesn’t rank as one of the best rom coms of all time (yet), Eichner and Luke MacFarlane have undeniable chemistry in Bros. It is, after all, one of the key elements fans connected with, the Noelle alum explains. I’m just hoping they eventually reunite in a sequel or something because they were some of the most incredible romantic comedy partners.

The Friends From College alum then dove into some behind-the-scenes feelings of what it's like being a gay man in the industry making a movie that's akin to Bros. He revealed that while the pressure was outstanding, he continues to stand firmly with the result, as he should. Eichner shared:

Billy Eichner isn’t alone in the sentiment. He also shared during the interview that an exec reached out to him after rewatching the film. He shared with the comedian and writer that he was also proud and glad to have been a part of the film. As someone who has seen Bros, I agree wholeheartedly, it’s a film to be proud of and one of the best recent romantic comedies I’ve seen.

Hopefully, Eichner, and the cast and crew behind the movie, know the enormous amount of weight and pressure that came along with it was well worth it. The legacy of Bros, I think, is just beginning and future viewers will make up for the low-performing numbers at the box office–it’s too good not to.

Bros is available with a Starz subscription or VOD.

It’s been 30 years since a generation of children were traumatized by watching the mighty king Mufasa falling to his death at the hands of his brother. Simba and the rest of us may have been robbed of the precious wisdom the king had to share, but with Mufasa: The Lion King’s release, the story of Mufasa and Taka will come to life on the 2024 movie calendar. The musical is one of the several upcoming family friendly films, and after catching early screenings, critics are hitting social media with their first reactions.

Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel, since it tells the origin story of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), the lion who will come to be known as Scar. It also serves as a sequel to the 2019 remake, with Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Kani, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reprising their roles. Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter makes her feature film debut as Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara, and with Barry Jenkins directing and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, anticipation is high for this one. According to Jazz Tangcay of Variety, it doesn’t disappoint, either, as the critic writes on X (Twitter):

It’s not surprising but definitely comforting to hear good things about Lin-Manuel Miranda’s soundtrack, especially following another Disney movie’s release. Moana 2 has been a huge hit at the box office, but many feel not having Miranda hurt the sequel.

Film critic Dempsey Pillot echoes that sentiment, saying that the sequel/prequel is visually stunning and will definitely keep audiences entertained. Pillot says:

Dana Abercrombie of the Koalition loves the way Mufasa: The Lion King adds more depth to the characters who we’ve been familiar with for decades. She was left without words but was still able to write:

Critic Joaquín Teodoro enjoys how the upcoming live-action Disney remake not only brings us a new story from the familiar universe, but it takes the opportunity to correct things from the 2019 offering. Teodoro says:

The news outlet Atom was over the moon (or maybe over Pride Rock?) after catching an early screening, lauding the cinematography and visual effects in a thread on X. Congratulations are given to the “magical wizards” who make up Mufasa: The Lion King’s crew. In their words:

The feedback doesn’t get much more enthusiastic than that, though there’s not much word about whether or not it will help us millennials get past our decades-old trauma. Thankfully we don’t have to wait too long to grab a Pride Rock popcorn bucket and catch a screening for ourselves. Mufasa: The Lion King hits the big screen on Friday, December 20.

It’s common for people on the street to mistake celebrities for someone else or accidentally mess up the names of their projects, and I imagine it’s always a bit frustrating when that happens. However, when it’s an A-list celebrity who flubs the title of a project, as Travis Kelce did with Billy Eichner, I totally get why the Billy on the Street host let it slide, because I too would have been too starstruck to correct him.

First, of all, this story involving Eichner, Kelce and Taylor Swift took place at Madonna’s Oscar after-party, so that alone adds its own level of starstruck to the situation. However, it gets even better, because Eichner’s tale that he told on Jimmy Kimmel Live focuses on an absolutely hilarious interaction he had with the Super Bowl camp, and it started like this:

For context, Travis Kelce is two inches taller and I’d imagine quite a bit heavier than Eichner, because, you know, he’s a football player. So, that added to the shock of the comedian meeting him.

However, it was the New Heights host knowing about his viral show – Billy on the Street – that really took him back, especially because Kelce didn’t get the title 100% correct, as Eichner hilariously explained:

If I were in his shoes, I wouldn’t have corrected him either. Not only because I would be starstruck, but because the slip-up is actually really cute and endearing. Plus, it gave the two of them something to get excited about every time they crossed paths at this party, as the Bros star said:

The Mufasa cast member said Kelce was “lovely” and they continued to fist bump throughout the night – even though the comedian noted that he doesn’t normally communicate via fist bump.

I’d also like to point out that it makes sense that Travis Kelce knew who Billy Eichner was.

The Kansas City Chiefs player is notably a big comedy fan – I mean, he’s going to appear in Happy Gilmore 2 and he and his brother have interviewed a bunch of comedic actors on their podcast.

Plus, Billy on the Street has had major guests like Paul Rudd (who also happens to know Kelce). While his videos don’t have billions of views like Taylor Swift’s music videos, the star-studded episodes have been watched and loved by millions and millions of people. So, I’m not shocked that Kelce has seen the show and is a fan of it (even though he didn’t get the name right).

Now, Billy Eichner has made it clear that the tight end has an open invitation to be on his popular show, humorously telling Jimmy Kimmel:

So, here’s hoping that if/when Billy on the Street returns it features Travis Kelce running down the street with Billy Eichner yelling at pedestrians. And maybe they can rename it for one episode to honor this truly hilarious slip-up.

However, while we wait for that, there’s plenty to look forward to from both men, as Kelce’s football season continues on the 2024 TV schedule and Eichner’s movie Mufasa premieres on the 2024 movie schedule on December 20.

HBO has had countless hit shows over the years, but few have had the big cultural impact of Sex and the City. The raunchy dramedy series became a sensation that inspired two movies as well as the current spinoff And Just Like That. There are generations of diehard fans of the show, and that includes none other than actor-writer-producer Billy Eichner. And the Bros star explained why SATC showing a gay bar on TV “felt so radical” at the time, and how the series ultimately impacted his career.

Sex and the City premiered back in 1998, before it became commonplace to see queer stories play out on the small screen. Combine that with how sexually powerful the four women were, and it was a show unlike any other on the air. Billy Eichner wrote an essay for People about how the show impact him when it was originally airing, specifically related to LGBTQ+ characters like Willie Garson’s Stanford Blatch. In his words:

Some serious points were made. While Stanford wasn’t one of the four main Sex and the City characters, he got a number of iconic sequences during the show’s original run on HBO. Offering a (mostly) authentic view of gay life in New York City, we saw him in a real queer space like Barracuda bar, and attending events like an underwear party. And that instantly made Billy Eichner a fan during the show’s run on HBO.

Eichner’s personal story about SATC is made all the more powerful considering that Stanford actor Willie Garson died in 2021. There are no doubt plenty of LBGTQ+ fans out there who feel that special connection to his character for the way queerness was portrayed on the show. 

Later in that same essay, Billy Eichner revealed that his fandom for Sex and the City actually helped Billy on the Street’s development. What’s more, the Carrie/Mr. Big relationship was something that inspired Eichner while writing Bros. In his words:

Luckily for Sex and the City fans like Eichner and myself, many of our favorite characters returned for And Just Like That, which is available with a Max subscription. Although there have been some exceptions, like Kim Cattrall’s Samantha who is noticeably absent. But Cattrall will cameo in AJLT’s Season 2 finale.

Since And Just Like That was recently renewed for Season 3, maybe the streaming hit will have a role for Billy Eichner. It seems like a full circle moment for him to appear, even just as himself. Fingers crossed. 

And Just Like That airs Thursdays on Max, where the original Sex and the City is streaming. Be sure to check out the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

It often feels like rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but the truth is that the best romantic comedies are ones built on several things. Fans of the genre enjoy snappy dialogue, inventive and/or realistic complications for the central couple, a swoon-worthy love story, and, of course, main characters portrayed by actors who have more than enough on-screen chemistry to make all of those pieces come together. 

What’s great about romantic comedies is that we’ve gotten more than enough couples like this over the past two plus decades, but some of them have either only partnered one time (which, granted, may be because their pairing is still relatively new), or haven’t been in a film together for many years now. So, let’s take a look at the (mostly) rom-com partners that we really think should make another movie together!

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

This duo probably feels like a no-brainer to you, and, well, it should! Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks have memorably joined forces for two rom-com hits, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, plus the 1990 cult favorite romantic comedy, Joe Versus the Volcano, so there’s no reason for them not to really round things out with a fourth film. I’d be down for a second chance romance where they learn to love again, wouldn’t you?

Diane Keaton And Keanu Reeves 

Yes, yes… Already I’m cheating here, but only a tiny bit. While the magnetic on-screen coupling of Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves wasn’t the main focus of Something’s Gotta Give, I have spent the past 20 years wishing they were. So, let's get these adorably crazy kids back together! They could play any kind of couple (bickering marrieds who are clearly still hot for each other, two folks who shouldn’t get together but can’t help themselves, etc.) and I’d be in the theater on opening night.

Lana Condor And Noah Centineo

Honestly, there might not be a cuter couple on this list. The dreamy teen romance movie pairing of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo was, obviously, gifted to everyone with a Netflix subscription in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and there’s a reason that so many people fell head over heels for them. These two sorta sparkle together on screen, and I’d love to see them reunite in a romance (or any comedy) that’s got more of an adult edge to it.

Alison Brie And Jason Sudeikis

We all adore it when a rom-com gives us something different, and 2015’s Sleeping with Other People does just that with its story of friends who openly acknowledge their sexual tension, but purposely avoid doing anything about it so as to not screw up what they have. Alison Brie and Ted Lasso cast lead Jason Sudeikis are amazing as the friends in question, and I’d love to see them bring their casual, but still sexy, chemistry to another film. 

Jenny Slate And Jake Lacy

A true pleasure of watching Obvious Child was seeing the relationship between Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy’s characters develop as she has trouble revealing that she’s getting an abortion several weeks after their one-night stand. They work great as a duo with a clear attraction that’s impeded by a secret, and we’d really appreciate it if we could watch him warm her butter and make her tea in a movie that sees them as fully coupled characters.

Constance Wu And Henry Golding

I cannot tell a lie; some of the reason for Constance Wu and Henry Golding making the list is simply because we are all dying for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel we’ve been promised for several years now. While we wait, I’m hoping we can at least get those two into another fun rom-com where he can bring his posh, suave energy to meet her adorably spunky, girl-next-door verve.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

What’s not to love about Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, especially when they star opposite each other in a romantic story? They were sweet, sexy, bantery, and slightly goofy together in Crazy, Stupid, Love, then had all of that with more emotional depth in La La Land, and also had the same chemistry in Gangster Squad, but with an added veneer of danger. It’s been a rough few years; the world needs more of their exact thing, OK?

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

I know, I know! Matthew McConaughey doesn’t make rom-coms anymore, but that’s honestly no reason why he can’t re-team with Kate Hudson, 20 years after they first hit the screen together in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. The engaging push-and-pull of their romance in that film can easily be translated to, say, a movie where each is portraying a lawyer on the opposite side of a big murder case. There! Someone make that movie!

Queen Latifah And Common

Just Wright might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to Queen Latifah or romantic comedies, but it’s hard to deny that watching her play off of Common as they slowly go from not-quite-enemies to lovers was a genuine treat. Now all we need is the right vehicle for them so their individual easygoing charm can show us how well-matched they are on screen.

Jennifer Garner And Mark Ruffalo

There’s a reason that 13 Going On 30 is still so popular almost two decades later. That reason is Jennifer Garner’s joyful, weirdo energy as a teen suddenly transplanted to her adult life, sure, but it’s also how Mark Ruffalo calmly reconnects with the childhood friend he’d long ago lost touch with. They're just sweet together, OK? We saw them in The Adam Project. We need more!

Sandra Bullock And Channing Tatum

The luminous and hilarious pairing of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum was definitely not on my rom-com bingo card, but damn, it was a joy to behold once we got it. In The Lost City, they were perfect as a starchy and grieving romance novelist and her incredibly sweet but somewhat dim cover model who get caught in a life-or-death situation in the jungle, and all I can hope for is that we someday have a sequel to enjoy.

Billy Eichner And Luke Macfarlane

If an opposites attract energy is your thing, there’s no way for you not to enjoy the pairing of Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The Bros stars only just met up on screen in 2022, but we’d love to see them reunite in a rom-com that switches Eichner’s intense characterization and Macfarlane’s laid-back vibe around for additional laughs.

Meg Ryan And Hugh Jackman

Kate & Leopold is the rare romance where Meg Ryan’s character is less than sweet for much of the film, but watching her early ‘00s driven career woman begin to soften with the attentions of Hugh Jackman’s fancy man from the 1870s was a delight. Now if we can just get them to play off of one another when both are from the modern day, all will be right in the world.

Anne Hathaway And Chris Pine

We all know that The Princess Diaries 2 is so beloved that fans have wanted to bring the cast back for the now in development third movie for nearly 20 years, and part of that was because of the sweet, (sorta) slow burn love story between Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine’s characters. While everyone would love to see them as a long-married couple in a sequel, we’d also take them as, oh, I don’t know, bickering co-workers who can’t deny their attraction, so let’s stop stalling and get this coupling back on the big screen!

Julia Roberts And Hugh Grant

Look, I know that Hugh Grant is fully in his slimy villain era right now and is hilariously against even attempting rom-coms again. But! I think that makes the potential of this Notting Hill pairing coming back together even more appealing. Let him play a con-man who tricks Julia Roberts into falling in love, only to steal all her money and force her to track him down with a hilarious vengeance. I’d buy a ticket for that, OK?

Jennifer Lopez And George Clooney

Sure, sure. I’m cheating this entry a bit because, technically, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney didn't star in a traditional rom-com together, but who among us can deny that they were HOT in Out of Sight? No one, that’s who! I say we get these two into a proper romantic comedy, but maybe one that’s not another Lopez wedding movie, just to switch things up.

Sanaa Lathan And Omar Epps 

Yes, this is another, more direct, fudging of this article’s concept, because Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps were a romantic drama pairing in Love & Basketball… but they were SO GOOD TOGETHER. Watching them play out a long-term path to eventual happiness was extremely satisfying, but maybe this time we can use that chemistry of theirs for a couple that has more good times than stressful ones.

Cristin Milioti And Andy Samberg

The chances that Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg will strike time loop movie gold again after Palm Springs is incredibly unlikely, and we wouldn’t want them to try. Instead, why not let these two portray criminals on the run for separate crimes who accidentally cross paths and fall in love while they’re on the lam? They can give us that same adorably wacky enthusiasm that we all loved the first time around that way!

Kristen Stewart And Aubrey Plaza

If you saw Happiest Season, then you saw the undeniable spark between Kristen Stewart and Aubrey Plaza as their characters (Who weren’t even dating!) dealt with a lot of toxicity during Christmastime. They managed to genuinely bond (and look great doing it) over their similar relationship trauma, so I say we go ahead and give these two an even bubblier romantic comedy where they can actually freakin’ end up as a couple! 

Gemma Chan And Harry Shum Jr. 

Obviously, we didn’t get a real romance between the characters played by Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr. in Crazy Rich Asians, but the movie sure did set up the promise of fulfilling the epic love story that was a part of Kevin Kwan’s novel trilogy. Fans got a very brief scene of them looking all cute and dreamy with each other and dancing during the mid-credits scene, so hear me now: WE NEED THAT ASTRID AND CHARLIE SPINOFF, ASAP!

Issa Rae And Kumail Nanjiani

It may be hard to cast two people who have perfect romantic chemistry, but it could be even harder to find a duo who can portray the first glorious blush of falling in love, that same couple once they’ve begun to fall apart, and then play them as they start to get closer… because they’re on the run after being accused of murder. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are those people, and we’ve been wanting them back on screen since The Lovebirds to do something just as crazy and rom-commy again.

Reese Witherspoon And Josh Lucas

If you’re looking for a bickering duo who are hot together no matter what, that’s Sweet Home Alabama’s Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas, for sure. I’m sure they’d be great doing anything on screen, but also doubt anyone would mind if they paired for a story that would let them fight (and fight through) their attraction until they finally admit their feelings for each other.

Rachel McAdams And Domhnall Gleeson

You know what’s coming, right? After being apart for a decade, it’s About Time that Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson join forces again to bring fans another lovey dovey couple, and we don’t even care what the set up is!

Sarah Hyland And Tyler James Williams

Never has it been more enjoyable to watch a woman who’s not sure about the whole marriage thing date a man who’s very much ready for a long-term commitment than in The Wedding Year, and that was because of the well-matched chemistry/comedic energy of Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams. I think these two would be fantastic in an action/adventure rom-com like The Lost City!

Kristen Bell And Dustin Milligan 

Though Kristen Bell and Dustin Milligan starred in The People We Hate at the Wedding, which was more of a straight ahead comedy, they had a definite romantic comedy storyline and played off of each other beautifully. I’m imagining a cinematic rematch for them that involves both of their characters being messy and a bit angry this time, and I think they’ll be a delight to watch once again.

Vivian Oparah And David Jonsson

Even though Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson are a very new rom-com pairing, as their starring vehicle, Rye Lane, debuted in early 2023, there’s no doubting the fizzy joy one gets from watching their characters meet cute and end up slowly becoming attracted to each other over the course of one eventful day. These two can do anything together next, but I don’t think anyone would mind a sequel where we get to see this romance progress!

If nothing else, while we wait to see if these rom-com partners get back together on the big screen, we can all at least go back and enjoy the amazing films they’ve already given us!

On January 15th, five days after the winners of the 80th Golden Globes were announced, the 28th Critics’ Choice Award unfolding, providing yet another ceremony to keep track of during awards season. But we’re not here to talk about who walked away with trophies on that night. Instead, it’s time to discuss the ridiculous Cold Stone wall that was set up at the event, and how celebrities like Seth Rogen and Chelsea Handler responded about getting asked to pose in front of it.

The officialseanpenn Instagram account (this isn’t the actual Sean Penn, he has his own verified account) posted a series of photos from Getty Images of actors Andrew Garfield, Kate Hudson, Aubrey Plaza, Jeremy Allen White, Natasha Lyonne and Henry Winkler standing in front of a wall at the Critics’ Choice Awards that was sponsored by Cold Stone Creamery, an ice cream shop staple in the United States. Like some of you may be wondering, the caption of this Instagram post inquires about what the deal with this setup was, like “Were these poor celebs forced to do this? Did any of them know what was going on? Were they given any cold stone in exchange for their participation?” Numerous celebrities shared their experiences in the comments section, so let’s start off with Seth Rogen:

Ok, so Seth Rogen, who presented the Best Comedy Series award at the Critics’ Choice Awards and starred in the Best Picture-nominated movie The Fabelmans, wanted nothing to do with the Cold Stone wall when asked. Fair enough. Next up, we have comedian and talk show host Chelsea Handler, who did pose in front of the wall, but her memories of the experience were hazy.

As for whether or not anything was provided to the celebrities who agreed to pose in front of the Cold Stone wall, Billy Eichner, the lead actor from last year’s Bros (which can be streamed with a Peacock subscription), revealed he did get something in exchange.

Additionally, free Cold Stone Creamery ice cream was being given out in that general area, whether someone posed in front of the wall or not, although apparently almost no one took advantage of the free dessert. We have Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and Reboot’s Rachel Bloom to thank for this piece of information.

Finally, pro skateboarder Tony Hawk wrote that Henry Winkler, who’s starring in HBO’s Barry these days, posing in front of the Cold Stone wall was enough incentive for him to do the same.

It’s hard to tell if the Cold Stone wall was a success or not, so I guess we’ll just have to regroup next year at the 29th Critics’ Choice Awards to see if it made a comeback. Seeing something like this at the next Academy Awards ceremony, at the other hand, feels like a pretty safe bet of something that’s not on the table. That free ice cream was a nice bonus though, and I wonder if Amanda Seyfried might have also grabbed some, as it could have easily helped her feel a little better after a wardrobe malfunction forced her to improvise.

Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more updates on the awards show circuit. Those of you looking forward to the Oscars will learn who the nominees are on Tuesday, January 24, and the ceremony will air on ABC on Sunday, March 12. Scan through our 2023 release schedule to find out what movies are coming out later this year.

Billy Eichner’s romantic comedy Bros hit the scene this September to rave reviews, and positive reception for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, the film did not perform as well at the box office as Eichner would have hoped, and he famously expressed his disappointment on Twitter about its commerciality. Now, the flick is getting a streaming premiere, despite its previous hopes for theatrical success. 

Peacock recently announced that Bros will be available to Peacock subscribers on December 2nd. The film will hopefully reach a wider audience with its Peacock premiere. The streamer has recently prioritized debuting films on their platform shortly after their theatrical releases. For example, Peacock premiered Halloween Ends alongside the film’s theatrical run, and obtained Jurassic World Dominion shortly following its blockbuster theatrical success. The streaming service brokered a deal with Universal last year, so it won’t be long before 2022’s other theatrically released rom-com, Ticket to Paradise, lands on the streamer as well.

Bros box office failings previously went viral, as Eichner took to Twitter to blame “straight people” for the film being a bomb. The Billy on the Street star claimed that the fact it was a “gay rom com” could be attributed to its failings, and the audience attitudes towards LGBTQ+ representation deterred people from the film. This was a controversial statement, as many have attributed the lack of financial success of Bros to streaming popularity. Many romantic comedies have failed to receive theatrical releases, as success has been obtained on streaming.

Bros is not the only film failing to gain an audience by releasing theatrically. Previous blockbuster draws like Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan have failed to make the box office splashes that they used to. Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese has pointed the finger at the MCU for dominating movie theaters and being the only kind of films being touted by cinemas. This debate around the fate of theaters in a post-pandemic world will continue to circulate over the next few years. However, it is of note that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the number one movie at the box office this weekend in its third week, and made over three times the amount of the second place competition, Strange World (another film by Disney). 

Nobody knows for sure why Bros didn’t draw in the big bucks, however, a Peacock release could end up being very positive for the film. Many movies tend to find their audience on streaming platforms, and this could lead to more people in the LGBTQ+ community seeing themselves represented on screen. 

You can check out Bros, and many other great films streaming on Peacock in the upcoming weeks. For more information on other projects hitting streaming later this year, make sure to check out CinemaBlend’s feature on where to watch the latest films online. 

Bros – the new queer romantic comedy starring Billy Eichner – has stirred up a lot of conversation over the past week. Last weekend, Eichner’s movie underperformed at the box office during its debut, leading the actor to share some thoughts on social media. Eichner expressed disappointment in the $4.8 million haul and went on to claim that homophobia factored into things and that straight people did not see the movie. Since then, a number of people have shared varying opinions on the star’s assertion. Now, director Nicholas Stoller is weighing in on his leading man’s polarizing tweets. 

When taking to Twitter to share his thoughts, Billy Eichner specifically opined that “straight people, especially in certain parts of the country, just didn’t show up for Bros.” This is one of the major points that’s been debated amongst box office analysts, critics and the general public alike during the past several days. Nicholas Stoller didn’t shy away from addressing the matter during a lengthy interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Per Stoller, Eichner “said the truth,” as the the viewership data they received matched the actor’s assessment: 

There’s been a considerable amount of discussion regarding the theatrical viability of comedies in recent years. Many have seen miniscule returns compared to the sizable numbers they brought in decades ago. And per his comments, Nicholas Stoller believes this trend – and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic – contributed to the movie’s low returns. Later in the interview, Stoller doubled down on his sentiments while also making an assumption regarding the film’s long-term viewership: 

There are several factors that have been discussed in relation to the movie’s poor showing in its opening weekend, which was dominated by Smile. Some pundits have analyzed the star power of the cast, which (in a landmark first) is made up of all LGBTQ+ actors. The effectiveness of Universal Pictures’ marketing campaign, which put great emphasis on the historic nature of the movie, has also been questioned.

But ahead of its theatrical release, Bros received positive early reactions following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. The queer rom-com later got positive reviews from critics. CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola called the comedy a riot with a fresh perspective. In the lead-up to its debut, Billy Eichner also promoted the movie in a number of ways, one of which saw him humorously enlist Paul Rudd to encourage straight people to see it.

Though they’re clearly not pleased with the reception at the box office, Nicholas Stoller, Billy Eichner and co. are still proud of their film. Stoller also made a fair point in that a number of movies do find renewed interest via streaming and/or PVOD. We’ll have to wait and see if that ends up being the case here. 

You can see Bros in theaters now, and be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s schedule of upcoming movies to stay in the know on other high-profile productions releasing this year.

Nintendo’s lush video game world is finally getting the big screen treatment in the form of Illumination Entertainment’s animated The Super Mario Bros. Movie, set to be among 2023’s upcoming movie releases. And finally, fans got a first look at it on Thursday when the first trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie dropped online during the Nintendo Direct event. So of course it’s time for those first reactions. 

First off, Billy On The Street’s Billy Eichner gave the absolute best reaction to the trailer by calling out himself following the box office bomb of his movie Bros. The LGBTQ+ romantic comedy unfortunately underperformed last weekend, to which the actor/writer asked audience who are not homophobic to go see it. Check out his Mario tweet: 

Get it? Because they both have Bros in the title? Anyways, there are a lot of other thoughts on The Super Mario Bros. Movie first look. And of course, there’s a lot of talk about Chris Pratt’s voice of Mario, which has earned backlash since the Jurassic World actor was cast. Here’s what one fan thought: 

Looks like that’s a thumbs up, even if it’s odd to hear the voice behind a myriad of massive films, including various MCU movies and The LEGO Movies tap into the beloved video game character next. Here’s another take: 

Jack Black’s Bowser opens up the trailer, and lots of fans are super into how the character looks and sounds. The Super Mario Bros. Movie includes a stacked cast, with Anya Taylor-Joy playing Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. Wait, there’s more Bowser love: 

And along with a first look at Bowser and the Mushroom Kingdom, one especially big favorite showed his face for a moment, and fans are also stoked. Check it:  

Gotta love Luigi! You can check out the full first trailer of The Super Mario Bros. Movie below: 

This Super Mario Bros. movie, of course, follows the infamous 1993 movie starring Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, which has its share of lovers and haters. The Nintendo property has a massive fanbase of gamers of all ages who’d be curious to see Mario and Luigi take on an animated movie. If it does well, it could become another successful franchise for Universal Pictures on the heels of Super Nintendo World soon having a presence in more of their parks in the near future.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is heading to theaters on April 7, 2023. 

Last weekend Billy Eichner’s new romantic comedy Bros debuted in theaters, after receiving rave reviews and audience scores on places like Rotten Tomatoes. When the movie was first being developed and filmed, it turned heads for its groundbreaking principal cast made up entirely of LGTBQ+ actors. That includes the iconic viral sensation TS Madison, who recently spoke to CinemaBlend about creating her character, and how it differs from typical trans representation.

TS Madison is a viral sensation, reality TV star, and activist that has recently been dipping her toes into the film world. After appearing in A24’s Zola, Madison has a major role in Bros as Angela, a member of the Board at the National LGBTQ+ History Museum. As you can see above, I had the privilege of speaking with the cast, including the icon herself ahead of Bros’ release, where she spoke to me about creating her character for the rom-com. In her words:

She’s got a serious point. There’s been a great deal of discussion over the last few years about the power of representation in film and TV. And as TS Madison points out, the majority of trans stories being told in the media center around sex workers. While this is also part of history for some transgender folks out there, Madison also appreciates that roles like Angela in Bros tell another reality happening for members of the community.

TS Madison’s comments about queer representation are important to take in, and she obviously has an important perspective on the way members of the community have been portrayed on screen. Sex work has been a reality for some trans folks for decades now, which is why it’s still important to tell those very real stories. But it should be balanced out with other types of characters, like the one Madison plays in Bros. 

Later in our same conversation, TS Madison further explained her process of creating the character Angela for Bros. While joking about the feud she has with Miss Lawrence’s Wanda in the new rom-com, the iconic multitalent shared with me:

Luckily for TS Madison’s fans, she has a number of upcoming acting projects coming down the line. This includes both movie and TV projects. And smart money says that folks are going to be quoting some of her lines from Bros as more folks see the R-rated comedy.

Bros is in theaters now, although its performance at the box office has been disappointing thus far. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The early box office numbers are in, and the news for director Nicholas Stoller's Bros is not good. Competing against writer/director Parker Finn's horror movie Smile, the romantic comedy opened in fourth place and only made $4.8 million. While the movie is a special and unique celebration of LGBTQ+ culture on the big screen, has earned rave reviews, and there were hopes to see a resurgence for R-rated comedies, it's hard to disguise the results as anything but disappointing. 

In recognition of that reality, writer and star Billy Eichner has published a heartfelt statement in multiple parts on his personal Twitter page. He began the thread by noting that he surreptitiously attended a screening of Bros on Saturday night in Los Angeles and was elated to find the packed crowd loving his work. Regardless of the box office, he starts his message by noting that he is "VERY proud" of what he has made:

Continuing, Billy Eichner acknowledged that Bros has already experienced multiple victories. He has already seen the film acknowledged in ways that will ensure that audiences will both find it and revisit in the future – specifically citing a Rolling Stone ranking – and he provided an example of the movie getting special support from Universal Pictures (the movie's distributor):

Unfortunately, the successes that Bros counted prior to the release has not yet translated to ticket sales. In his third Tweet, Billy Eichner directly addresses the fact that the movie has gotten a great response from critics and audiences – as represented via its Rotten Tomatoes score and CinemaScore grade – but that "straight people, especially in certain parts of the country" didn't give the movie a shot:

Not dwelling on the negative, Billy Eichner's fourth Tweet is a call to action for all of those who don't have misguided prejudices to support what is a major moment for LGBTQ+ people on the big screen. As he notes, movies like this rarely get made, and, in respect to the reality of the film industry being a business, they'll become even rarer if they don't find an audience and aren't successful:

Bros is currently playing in 3,350 theaters, which means it is almost definitely playing somewhere near you (you can purchase tickets via Fandango). As our own Corey Chichizola writes in his CinemaBlend review of the film, Billy Eichner has made a movie that is not only a wonderful moment for LGBTQ+ representation on the big screen, but it's also a hilarious, raunchy comedy that features a terrific cast and has a sweet, romantic story to tell. Not seeing it is missing out on something great.

See Bros, and then after you do, check out even more excellent LGBTQ+-representative movies and television shows that are currently streaming.

Romantic comedies might feel like they’re a dime a dozen, but one thing we don’t get to see very often are rom-coms that focus on the LGBTQ+ experience. Billy on the Street star Billy Eichner made headlines when his new comedy, Bros, was announced, and it was revealed that the principal cast would be made up of all LGBTQ+ actors in every major role, even the ones that are written as straight characters.

While we know that many critics are loving the new rom-com that’s giving audiences a fresh perspective, once you’ve seen the movie, you might be wondering where, exactly, you’ve seen the members of this talented ensemble before. Here for you now is a rundown of where you might have seen the Bros cast prior to watching the love-focused film.

Billy Eichner 

As mentioned above, many people first became aware of comic Eichner when his man-on-the-street style interviews for Funny or Die became popular. That led to a whole host of opportunities for the actor, who went on to portray the frequently yelling Craig Middlebrooks on Parks and Recreation from 2013 through 2015, star in the Hulu original, Difficult People, appear in Seasons 7 and 8 of Ryan Murphy’s hit series, American Horror Story, and Netflix’s Friends from College, all while voicing Mr. Ambrose for Bob’s Burgers.

In addition, Eichner has appeared in films like Sleeping with Other People, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, and voiced Timon in 2019’s remake of Disney’s animated classic, The Lion King (a part he’ll be reprising for the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King).

Luke Macfarlane 

Macfarlane is sure to be a familiar face to a number of rom-com fans already, as the actor has starred in a few Hallmark movies over the past several years, including Moriah’s Lighthouse, A Shoe Addict’s Christmas, and A Valentine’s Match. He also starred in Netflix’s 2021 LGBTQ+ Christmas rom-com, Single All the Way.

Away from lovey-dovey movies, the actor starred as D'avin Jaqobis in Syfy’s Killjoys, portrayed Scotty Wandell on the ABC hit Brothers & Sisters for all five seasons, as well as appearing in The Night Shift, Mercy Street, Satisfaction, Over There, Smash, and Supergirl. 

TS Madison

While Madison doesn’t have a ton of acting credits to her name just yet, she’s recognizable to music fans as well as those who love reality TV. In 2021, she became the first Black trans woman to lead her own reality series with The TS Madison Experience on We TV, and has been a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race several times. Well before that, though, the talent released her debut album, The New Supreme, in 2016, going on to collaborate with RuPaul and Todrick Hall. She made her feature-length movie debut by playing Hollywood in the A24 film, Zola, and will be seen in the upcoming movie The Perfect Find and the TV series Hush.

Monica Raymund

This actor will be familiar to anyone who’s spent years watching the #OneChicago lineup on NBC, as Raymund starred as paramedic/firefighter Gabriela Dawson on Chicago Fire (and made regular appearances on sister shows, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Med) from 2012 through 2019. Since then, the performer has led the Starz crime drama, Hightown, which was renewed for a third season earlier this year, and voiced Laura Romero in the dramatic podcast series, Dark Woods. She’ll also be recognizable for her earlier work in Lie to Me and The Good Wife.

Guillermo Díaz 

If Díaz isn’t familiar to you, then you certainly never watched the massively popular ABC drama, Scandal, as he played the former black ops agent/assassin, Huck, for the duration of the show’s seven seasons. Recently, he was seen as Lieutenant William Brewster in the second season of Law & Order: Organized Crime, and previously played Guillermo on Weeds from 2007 through 2012. He’s also been seen in the beloved sketch comedy, Chappelle’s Show, and on series like United We Fall, Mercy, and Broad City, among many others. 

Jim Rash

Rash has many claims to fame, including winning an Oscar in 2012 for co-writing the screenplay for The Descendants, but he may always be best known for playing Dean Pelton in the Community cast. Aside from his role there, he’s appeared in or voiced characters in nearly 130 movies and TV shows, including That ‘70s Show, Reno 911!, American Housewife, Impeachment: American Crime Story, CSI, Friends, Will & Grace, black-ish, Family Guy, voiced Flix on Star Wars Resistance, the Marquess of Queensberry on Mike Tyson Mysteries, and plays several characters on HBO Max’s Harley Quinn, including The Riddler. 

Guy Branum 

While Branum has worked as an actor in movies like No Strings Attached and on shows like The Mindy Project (where he also wrote) and Hacks, he’s better known for, well, just being himself. He likely first became recognizable to viewers during his 2008-2010 stint as one of the comedian panelists on Chelsea Lately, and went on to appear in a similar capacity on shows like Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, Lights Out with David Spade, and many others, he also hosted Talk Show the Game Show for two seasons, starting in 2017. 

Amanda Bearse

If this name is already ringing bells for you, it’s because you remember Bearse either from her role as the sweet girlfriend of a teen obsessed with horror movies in the 1985 classic, Fright Night, or (and even more likely) from her 259 episodes playing the somewhat uptight Marcy Rhoades (later D’Arcy) on the hit Fox sitcom, Married with Children.

Harvey Fierstein 

While a multi-Tony Award nominee and winner for Broadway plays like Torch Song Trilogy (he was also in the film adaptation), Hairspray, and many other shows, Fierstein is no stranger to the screen. He’s appeared in movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day, and Bullets Over Broadway, reprised his role as Edna Turnblad for NBC’s Hairspray Live! cast in 2016, has guest starred in a number of TV shows and lent his distinctive voice to characters in The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, and more.

Bowen Yang

Though he got his first screen credit way back in 2011, Yang really shot to stardom after becoming the first Chinese-American cast member on Saturday Night Live in 2019, where he performed as an iconic iceberg, among a number of hilarious sketches, and has played Edmund on Awkwafina is Nora from Queens for two seasons. He’s been in other series like Girls5Eva and The Other Two, appeared in the movies The Lost City and Isn’t It Romantic, and starred in another rom-com this year with Hulu’s Fire Island. 

Symone

Many reality competition show fans will surely recognize Symone, as she won Season 13 of RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2021, returning this year as a special guest in the season finale. Since then, the drag queen has appeared on a number of talk shows, modeled in Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 on Amazon Prime, and was seen in singer Kacey Musgraves’ Paramount+ special, Star-Crossed: The Film.

Bros is breaking new ground for romantic comedies, and we’re sure to see much more of the hilarious cast in the months and years to come!

"Bros” writer, producer and star Billy Eichner, and stars Luke Macfarlane, Jim Rash, TS Madison and Miss Lawrence join CinemaBlend’s Corey Chichizola to dive deep behind the scenes of their new rom-com. Watch as they discuss making sure all of their favorite jokes made the cut, LGBTQ+ representation for younger generations, cameos and more!

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro / Hallmark tease 
• 00:19 - Were Any Good ‘Bros’ Jokes Cut By The Studio? The Cast Answers 
• 04:31 - Billy Eichner On Being A New Source Of LGBTQ+ Representation For Younger Generations 
• 05:03 - TS Madison On The Importance Of Being A Strong Trans Character In ‘Bros’ 
• 06:31 - What Luke Macfarlane Thinks His Hallmark Fans Will Think Of ‘Bros’ 
• 07:40 - Billy Eichner On Telling A Modern, Queer Love Story 
• 09:35 - Miss Lawrence, Jim Rash & TS Madison on Working With Billy As A Costar And Producer 
• 11:29 - The ‘Bros’ Cast On The ‘Greek Chorus’ Of The LGBTQ History Museum Board

Over the past few years, there’s been a ton of conversation around the importance of representation and diversity on screen. There’s great power in one’s story being reflected back at them, especially for young people who might be in a disenfranchised group. Billy Eichner’s new romantic comedy Bros is breaking ground with its cast of queer actors, and Eichner recently discussed with CinemaBlend the potential impact the comedy can have on young people looking for LGBTQ+ representation. 

Ahead of filming Bros made headlines for featuring a cast entirely made of queer actors. That cast is lead by none other than Billy Eichner and Hallmark favorite Luke Macfarlane, who play the titular Bros turned boyfriends throughout the movie’s 115-minute runtime. As you can see in the video above, I had the privilege of speaking with the dynamic duo ahead of the new raunchy comedy’s release, where Eichner spoke about the likelihood of young people finally seeing themselves on a big screen rom-com. As he put it,

Billy Eichner wears a bunch of different hats in Bros; aside from starring as Bobby he’s also an executive producer and co-writer of the movie’s screenplay. As such, he’s been intimately involved in the movie’s filming and journey to theaters. While Eichner hoped that he brought together the project in the “right way” one can clearly see how specific and methodical he was about bringing this new type of rom-com to life.

Bros is groundbreaking for its cast and the major step forward regarding queer represntation, but it also delivers on classic romantic comedy tropes. And as such, it’ll deliver for LGBTQ+ folks, as well as straight audiences just looking for a fun day at the movies. In our same interview, Luke Macfarlane explained how he’s hoping that folks who see their first queer love story in Bros will hopefully continue discussion about its contents, saying:

While Bros delivers non-stop laughs (check out our review here), the movie does have an endearing love story with its two protagonists. What’s more, the movie peppers in important LGBTQ+ history, and addressed how queer folks are often written out of history. Bros also features multiple powerful trans women in positions of power, which is revolutionary in itself.

Luckily for Luke Macfarlane, the conversations that follow Bros are just days away from starting. The critical response has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing this story. We’ll just have to see if audiences feel similarly pleased with this new romantic comedy. For his part, Billy Eichner returned to Billy on the Street to help promote the movie.

Bros hits theaters on September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Anticipation has been high for Billy Eichner’s upcoming LGBTQ+ rom-com Bros, and that excitement has only grown since the movie received stellar reactions following its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Eichner wrote the script with director Nicholas Stoller and stars opposite Hallmark movie favorite Luke Macfarlane in the comedy that is making history with a main cast of openly LGBTQ+ actors. The reviews are in, so let’s see what the critics have to say about the rom-com ahead of its September 30 theatrical release.

Along with the two leads, Bros features tons of queer talent, including the likes of Bowen Yang, Harvey Fierstein, Guillermo Díaz, Dot-Marie Jones and Ts Madison, so it sounds like there’s plenty of reason to be excited. The story is centered around Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner), an unlucky in love podcaster who becomes involved with Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane). So what time of rom-com calamity will ensue? Let’s see what the critics have to say, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Bros. Our own Corey Chichizola rates the film 4 stars out of 5, saying the cast and the screenplay combine for an utterly hilarious and heartfelt experience. He says: 

Carla Renata of The Curvy Critic calls the movie outrageous and insightful, with a script that will penetrate the most cynical of hearts while making audiences laugh out loud. From the review: 

While that review pointed to Bros’ humor, Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair praises Billy Eichner for finding a balance between the brand he’s known for and some truly sincere moments. More from the review:

Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire grades the movie a B, calling Bros a gay homage to the classic rom-com. The review notes that one thing the movie gets it right is that it doesn’t try too hard to pander to gay audiences; it just sees and hears them. The critic says: 

Dan Bayer of Next Best Picture rates it an 8 out of 10, saying that Billy Eichner and Nichols Stoller do a great job of showing how straight and gay relationships are different, and yet it still fits the classic romantic comedy mold. He calls this movie the “standard bearer for a new generation of films that will not have this film’s burden of representation.” More from the review: 

It sounds like critics are excited about Bros, and it’s impossible to ignore how big of a deal this movie is in terms of representation. If this is one you need to check out on the big screen, you’ll be able to do so starting on Friday, September 30. Also be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other movies are coming to theaters soon. 

There’s nothing quite like a good romantic comedy. This genre has been one enjoyed across generations, with quotable lines that end up piercing the pop culture lexicon forever. Many of the greatest rom-coms from the last decade and change have come from producer Judd Apatow – from Knocked Up to Bridesmaids. And his latest R-rated entry into the genre comes in the form of director Nicholas Stoller’s Bros, starring Billy Eichner and Hallmark leading man Luke Macfarlane. 

Bros focuses on Eichner’s protagonist Bobby Lieber, who is a successful podcaster living in New York City. Despite his professional and interpersonal fulfillment, he's never had a significant relationship, and we learn the various reasons behind this include his childhood, body image issues, and the overall difficulty of trying to date in the age of hook-up apps like Grindr. 

But when Bobby meets Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) at a club, they have a surprising, instant connection. The story of their romance is far from an easy one, making way for plenty of hilarious and awkward moments that perfectly capture what it’s like to date in the current age as a queer person. 

Along the way we meet plenty of colorful characters, played by iconic queer actors that we’ve seen in previous projects – including one truly hysterical cameo by Debra Messing as herself.

Billy Eichner and Nicholas Stoller’s screenplay is the star of Bros.

The cast of Bros is filled out with a fantastic comedic ensemble, with some terrific performances coming from standouts like TS Madison, Saturday Night Live's Bowen Yang, and Glee alum Dot-Marie Jones. But despite all that the actors bring to the new romantic comedy, it's the screenplay that is the true star of the show – delivering a story that is consistently entertaining and extremely real. 

Bros was written by Billy Eichner himself along with Nicholas Stoller. Both of these filmmakers wore multiple hats and have crafted a sweet and funny rom-com that flies by. The pacing of the jokes buoys the movie’s 115-minute runtime and allows for more serious and tender moments to have real power once things slow down.

While Bros is breaking new ground as a queer romantic comedy getting a full theatrical release, it’s also going to give audiences everything they expect from a Judd Apatow comedy. Situations get outrageous, especially where Bobby and Aaron’s sex life is concerned. But at the same time, Bros also takes special care when honoring queer history in a way that feels organic and real.

Bros delivers on classic rom-com moments in a satisfying way.

While romantic comedies can sometimes be wild and raunchy, the best have a real love story at the heart of the narrative. Bros definitely knows this, and it’s methodically crafted the love story between Billy Eichner’s Bobby and Luke Macfarlane’s Aaron. These two characters are each grappling with issues related to masculinity and their identity, and the romance doesn’t start in the honeymoon stage. Instead we follow as they awkwardly get to know each other, complete with text message struggles and some group sex. 

By the time the two leading men start to really become a couple, it feels like both the characters have earned it, and it's rewarding for the audience. We get swept away by how they each keep each other on their toes and open up in new and touching ways. Eichner and Macfarlane have great chemistry throughout, and both have brilliant timing and quotable lines.

Bros is inherently groundbreaking, but it also leans into romantic comedy tropes that should please the hardcore fans out there. We see characters running after each other in classic fashion, there are plenty of surprise cameos, and there’s even an unexpected musical number. And all of this is shot and edited in a way that doesn't make it seem corny. Instead the movie is salty and sweet in the perfect combination.

Bros captures the reality of queer dating, warts and all.

Aside from the cast itself, Bros is also groundbreaking in the way that it portrays dating within the LGBTQ+ community. There are unique pressures, stressors, and situations that simply haven’t been seen on the big screen before. And while there’s some sweet moments of love and affection, there are way more moments in which Billy Eichner and company lovingly poke fun at the community itself.

Some of the best moments of Bros come from scenes that Billy Eichner’s character Bobby shares with his co-workers on the board of the LGBTQ+ museum that he’s working to launch. Each character has had a different story as a queer person, and hold up their own mirror to the community. The movie takes aim at various controversial queer folks like Caitlyn Jenner and Colton Underwood, while also lovingly poking fun at pop culture projects like Dear Evan Hansen and Schitt’s Creek. 

Bobby says early in Bros that “not all gay people are nice.” It’s the way that Eichner and Nicholas Stoller don’t handle the community itself with kid gloves which allows the new rom-com to feel so authentic. And it should come as no surprise that the screenplay written by the duo is delightfully twisted and seemingly built for a re-watch or two. In short: Bros does it all, perfectly leading us through laugh out loud comedy and a fresh, touching story.

There’s nothing like a good romantic comedy, with the popular genre making certain projects become forever interwoven with pop culture as a whole. This grand tradition continues with Nicholas Stoller’s new release Bros, which stars Billy Eichner (who also wrote the movie) and Luke Macfarlane. And Macfarlane recently explained to CinemaBlend why he thinks his Hallmark fans will enjoy the new queer rom-com.

Luke Macfarlane is a bonafide movie star in Bros, but many of his fans know him from starring in myriad Hallmark movies. As you can see in the above video, I had the privilege of speaking with Macfarlane and Eichner ahead of the movie’s release, where I asked about what he’s hoping his many Hallmark fans will get from seeing the acclaimed R-rated comedy. He cued me into his thought process, saying:

Points were made. Hallmark’s Christmas movies are unapologetically romantic in nature, and without the need to be self-deprecating or cynical. And it’s for this reason that countless fans tune in to watch these movies all year, every year. And Luke Macfarlane thinks that appetite for joy and romance is going to be delivered during Bros’ 115-minute runtime.

Obviously Bros is bringing something unique to the table, as it’s breaking ground as an LGTBQ+ romantic-comedy getting a full theatrical release. What’s more, the main cast is entirely made up of queer actors, with a few notable cameos by allies like Debra Messing and Kristin Chenoweth. Later our conversation Luke Macfarlane further explained why he thinks Hallmark movie fans will respond to his movie with Billy Eichner, saying:

One again, Luke Macfarlane hits the nail on the head. Part of what makes moviegoing so fun is being transported into a new world. And for some straight audiences, Bros offers an insider’s look at what contemporary queer dating looks like. That includes the universal truths that goes into finding a partner, and the more specific issues that face LGBTQ+ folks. 

Luckily for rom-com fans (and really, who isn’t?), the wait for Bros is nearly over, with Paul Rudd recently helping to promote the movie. And while it’s original and groundbreaking, the movie also contains popular tropes of the genre and a great love story. Not to mention the constant stream of laugh out loud jokes.

Bros will arrive in theaters exclusively on September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Romantic comedies are a tried and true genre in the film world, one that moviegoers often watch and re-watch time and time again. The latest addition hitting theaters shortly is none other than Nicholas Stoller’s Bros, which makes history with its all-queer cast and two male protgaonists. Comedy icon Billy Eichner stars as Bobby, and also wrote the screenplay. And while Eichner wrote some wild sex scenes for Bros, he didn’t think about having to sit through them with his family later.

Billy Eichner wears a ton of hats for Bros, as the movie’s star, screenwriter, and executive producer. As such, his vision for the raunchy R-rated comedy was very much at the center of its story. As were the sex scenes that he wrote, which he actually had to perform as the movie’s lead. Eichner explained this while appearing on Late Night with Seth Meyers, telling the titular host:

He’s got a point. Judd Apatow, who produced Bros, is known for having wild and thoroughly hilarious sex scenes in his movies. While Billy Eichner mentioned Trainwreck and Bridesmaids, there’s more examples in classics like The 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, and Saving Sarah Marshall. And so Billy Eichner wanted to continue this tradition with his new queer rom-com.

Billy Eichner’s comments make a great deal of sense, and tease just how raucous the events of Bros will be when it arrives in theaters. The movie’s R-Rating and the comedian’s signature sense of humor (which was on display as he and Paul Rudd brought back Billy On The Street) make way for countless laughs, although starring as Bobby did put him into some of the more intimate scenes. Later in that same interview, Eichner explained that dichotomy, saying:

While Billy Eichner’s various contributions to Bros is definitely something to be proud of, that doesn't mean that it’s not uncomfortable to watch himself in the movie’s various bonkers sex scenes. That feeling was seemingly multiplied when his loved ones were there. And the funny part is that he had no one to blame but himself, as a producer and writer of the project.

The early reception for Bros has been super positive, after the movie had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. At the time of writing this story, it’s currently sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. We’ll just have to see how audiences react to the upcoming rom-com, and what the experience is like in theaters. After all, raunchy comedies are always better when in a room full of laughing moviegoers.

Luckily the wait of Bros is nearly over, as it’ll arrive in theaters on September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Billy Eichner made a name for himself through his hilarious YouTube series Billy on the Street. He would run around the streets of New York City, typically with a very famous guest, and aggressively ask pedestrians questions. Now, after three years away from the mic, Eichner has taken to the streets once again, with the help of "famous and beloved straight man" Paul Rudd, to promote and “get straight people” to see his new movie Bros.  

The video was released as a promotional tool for Eichner’s upcoming LGBTQ+ romcom. Bros is a big deal because it is making history for as the first film to be released by a major film studio that features a completely LGBTQ+ principal cast. Excitement has been building since its announcement and especially since the trailer, featuring a ton of queer talent, dropped. Also, early reviews show critics are parsing the rom-com. However, there is still promo to do before the film's release on September 30. And what better way to promote it than to go back to the streets to hilariously, and aggressively, convince people to go see Bros? Check out the silly segment for yourself here:

As a Billy on the Street fan, I was ecstatic when I saw that he had released a new installment. Some of my favorite moments included a man being excited to see Bros and then asking Rudd to “physically carry” him to the theater to see the film. Rudd then picked up the man and started walking away. Eichner also stopped a straight woman on the street and after she tried to ignore him he stomped away yelling:

 After being rejected by yet another person, Eichner exclaims: 

This is obviously a joke about, Don’t Worry Darling one of the other big movies of 2022, which has received lots, and I mean lots, of attention, mostly due to feud rumors, ahead of its release next week. Eichner got a nice jab in there. 

Later in the video, Rudd leaves and Eichner is joined by a “pack of wild lesbians” who run with him around the city and help him get pedestrians, specifically straight people, excited about Bros. 

Even though this movie is highly anticipated and has been getting a lot of attention, Eichner has been clear about his worries regarding getting people into a movie theater for the film. Bros comes out about a month before Julia Roberts and George Clooneys’ rom-com Ticket to Paradise. Eichner explained that he is excited about Roberts’ movie but, he is aware that no one will question that movie’s theatrical release. While with Bros there is a lot more pressure on it from the studio to be successful, because nothing like this has ever had a release this big. 

On a lighter note, when Bros was announced, the comedian jokingly tweeted at Roberts saying “there’s a new rom-com QUEEN in town!” 

Personally, I can’t wait for Bros and I do hope we have a new "rom-com QUEEN" around. Seeing Eichner run around the streets again to promote it only made me more excited. I really hope “straight people go see Bros” so more movies like it can be made with wide theatrical releases. 

Billy Eichner is no longer “on the street,” and is the star of the new studio comedy from Nicholas Stoller titled Bros. The film is garnering a lot of attention for bringing back the studio comedy, as well for the incredible queer talent involved. Bros is a major milestone, with the cast being primarily made up of LGBTQ+ actors, including SNL's Bowen Yang and Glee's Dot Marie Jones. Bros officially moved forward in March 2021, and with the historic production finally ready to be shared with the world, the early reviews are very promising.

The film chronicles Bobby, a proudly out gay museum curator who has been hired to write a romantic comedy about two gay men. Along the way, he meets Aaron, a “macho” lawyer who's very different from himself, and the two fall in love. The film, which hails from Universal Pictures, has been widely anticipated, and it premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival to stellar reactions from critics. You can check out some of the highlights below.  

CinemaBlend’s own Corey Chichizola said that Bros is a lot of fun, highlighting Billy Eichner’s lead performance. 

The Playlist’s Gergory Ellwood commented on how truly funny the film is, but did note he wished there was even more queer talent behind the camera. 

Collider’s Ross Bonaime was charmed by the film, praising Nicholas Stoller’s direction as a rom-com filmmaker. 

That Shelf’s Pat Mullen called the film a crowd-pleaser, highlighting its humor and heart.

Variety’s Peter Debruge thought that while self indulgent, Bros was still very funny and a great step in the right direction. He also wanted to draw attention to impactful queer cinema that came before Bros.

It looks like Bros is absolutely delightful, with great talent and a wonderful and hilarious story at its core. We don’t seem to get studio comedies coming to the big screen as much anymore, so to see a movie like Bros hitting theaters is very exciting, especially one that champions the LGBTQ+ community. Billy Eichner always brings the laughs, and I love to see such a talented person at the forefront of a project like this. Eichner has previously appeared in comedy series like Parks and Recreation, as well as in dramatic roles for Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story and American Crime Story anthology series. He will be reprising his role as Timon in Mufasa: The Lion King, which will be helmed by Barry Jenkins. 

To see for yourself if Bros is as funny and heartwarming as critics say it is, you can check it out in theaters on September 30th. HBO Max subscribers can also see Eichner in his popular truTV series, Billy on the Street, streaming now. For more information on other movies hitting the big screen later this year, check out our 2022 movie release schedule.

Billy Eichner and Jud Apatow’s “Bros” is so much more than a romantic comedy, If you ask CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell. Watch as he reviews the new film after its Toronto International Film Festival premiere, highlighting all of the nuances it brings to the rom-com genre that makes it stand out as a must-see this fall.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

00:46 - A Different Billy Eichner

02:28 - A Whole Lot Of Heart

04:41 - An Elevated Rom-Com With Stellar Cameos

06:42 - Star Review and Final Thoughts

Over the past few years there has been a ton of conversation surrounding inclusion and representation in the media. To the joy of fans, there’s been a number of mainstream projects centered around queer stories as of late: Happiest Season and Fire Island on Hulu, as well as the horror movie They/Them on Peacock. This trend is continuing with the new R-rated comedy Bros, which is getting a wide theatrical release at the end of September. And Billy Eichenr’s Bros makes history as a LGBTQ+ romantic comedy, while also hilariously taking the piss out of the gay community as a whole.

Anticipation for Bros has been steadily building since the project filmed last summer, thanks to the outstanding cast of LBGTQ+ talent that was assembled to bring the story to life. Countless headlines followed the “all queer” cast of the new romantic comedy, but that doesn’t mean that the community makes it out of the project without taking their licks. And this happens while the movie hits those rom-com beats we know and love. I had the privilege of seeing the movie’s premiere of Bros at the Toronto International Film Festival, in an audience howling with laughter throughout.

Bros follows a jaded protagonist Bobby, played by Billy Eichner himself, who has never had a serious relationship in his life. In addition, Eichner also served as executive producer and wrote the movie’s screenplay. The latter perhaps needs the biggest round of applause, as the dialogue is full of hit signature wit, buoying the movie’s 115 minute runtime with a steady stream of laughs-- many of which are actually taking aim at the LGTBQ+ community. Case in point: one particular runner about his friends who recently became a throuple, and the bonkers concept of a gender reveal orgy. 

The screenplay of Bros is self-referential in some ways, as Billy Eichner’s character Bobby is constantly going on a diatribe about how queer stories have been edited out of the history books and media alike for years. But as he also mentions in his opening monologue, not all LGBTQ+ people are built the same, or necessarily decent people at all. He takes umbrage with the old adage “love is love” as it oversimplifies the queer experience. As he says “not all gay people are nice.” 

Throughout Bros’ runtime, Billy Eichner and company take aim at various queer celebs that have been making headlines. Zingers fly at the likes of controversial figures like Colton Underwood and Caitlyn Jenner, as well as the culture surrounding gay dating aps like Grindr. While there is obviously a sweet love story at the center of the project, the scenes of the protagonist's interactions on hookup apps can’t be any less romantic. It’s in that accuracy that movie succeeds in not over romanticizing the reality of being a queer person in the dating world. 

There’s also some A+ pop culture references throughout the movie’s runtime. Beloved sitcom Schitt’s Creek took a few licks in the process, while the characters also universally agree that the show was great. Billy Eichner also hilariously includes jokes aimed at Dear Evan Hansen, Glee, and Will and Grace– with Debra Messing even playing herself in a small but hilarious role. 

While Bros is very much a romantic comedy, there are also some emotional dramatic scenes that also really succeed. During a trip to gay mecca Provincetown, Bobby has a stirring monologue describing what it was like growing up as a LGBTQ+ person, and being told that his inherent queerness would stand in his way of various career paths. While discussing how much progress has happened throughout his lifetime, Eichner’s character laments about the timing based on his age, saying “the world didn’t catch up enough” for his late parents to see his success before passing.

But aside from the groundbreaking nature of the movie’s cast and storyline, Bros also follows romantic comedy tropes in a way that’s satisfying and accessible for all audiences. This includes a surprise musical number, as well as a sweet ending that feels akin to all the rom-coms we know and love. And with Eichner’s screenplay also paying tribute to queer icons from history, the past and present mix and really show how far we come… and how much progress is still needed.

Bros will arrive in theaters September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

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Romantic comedies are a tried and true genre in the film world, often making tons of money and becoming quotable parts of pop culture. There’s a new type of rom-com hitting theaters this fall in the form of Billy Eichner’s Bros, which is making history for its cast of LGBTQ+ actors. And Eichcner recently talked about worries with Bros that George Clooney and Julia Roberts’ rom-com would never have to deal with.

Rom-Com fans were delighted to learn that Julia Roberts and George Clooney would be returning to the genre with Ticket to Paradise. But first up is the Bros movie, which makes history as a queer love story that’s getting a full theatrical release. Billy Eichner recently spoke to Variety about the work he put into the movie as a writer, actor, and executive producer, where he opened up about the unique worries that go into telling mainstream LGBTQ+ stories. As he put it,

He’s got a point. Because projects like Bros are breaking into new territory, there’s no doubt pressure from studio heads that it actually makes money. And in that quest, there’s seemingly been some talks about whether or not the script is universal enough to include straight audiences. But as Billy Eichner explains, this is a unique pressure to projects like his upcoming romantic comedy.

The conversation surrounding representation in TV and movies has been ongoing for the last few years, as it becomes clear how powerful it is to see one’s self on screen. The past few months have seen queer stories like raunchy rom-com Fire Island and Kevin Bacon’s horror flick They/Them released via streaming services with authentic LGBTQ+ talent. But Bros has the added pressure of a full theatrical release.

While Billy Eichner has had unique worries in regard to Bros, it doesn’t sound like he’s had to pull back his vision for the project too much. In that same interview with Variety, Eichner revealed how he expected more push back from the studio regarding the movie’s contents, but that hasn’t happened. In his words,

Touche. Comedy is known for pushing boundaries, and Bros should be no exception in that regard, just because the situation might be more familiar to queer audience members. You can see some of dialogue that Billy Eichner helped to write in the movie’s trailer below, 

Aside from being a queer romantic comedy, Bros has been getting a ton of attention for the LGBTQ+ talent that helps to make up its cast. In addition to Billy Eichner and his co-star Luke Macfarlane, other familiar faces include the legendary Harvey Firestein, viral sensation TS Madison, Scandal’s Guillermo Diaz, SNL’s Bowen Yang, and Glee’s Dot-Marie Jones. Notable allies with roles include Kristin Chenoweth and Debra Messing.

Luckily for romantic comedy fans, the wait for Bros is nearly over. After it first premiers at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival, the movie will have its wide theatrical release on September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

There has been a ton of conversation in the entertainment industry over the past few years regarding inclusion and representation. Audiences have tasked with studios telling more diverse stories on screen, to varying degrees of success. Actor-comedian Billy Eichner is making history with his upcoming movie Bros, which features an all-queer cast of actors. And the movie's new trailer is NSFW, and features some stellar LGBTQ+ talents.

As seen above, the first full trailer for Bros is a pretty wild one, and shows off the comedic talents that made Billy Eichner such a name. In it we see Eichner playing an accomplished podcast host, who is struggling both romantically and sometimes professionally. And his experience dating is shown in a hilarious, frank, and definitely NSFW manner. Case in point: he and a date parting ways while in a group sex situation. This ain't your typical romantic comedy. 

The trailer opens on Billy Eichner's character Bobby Lieber, who is recounting the story of a Hollywood meeting gone wrong. A studio propositions him to make a gay rom-com that straight guys would enjoy, with Eichner joking about mixing gay sex with action star Jason Momoa, Volcanos, and Ice Cube in a hilariously NSFW way.

From there, Bros' protagonist explains how dating, friendships, and social lives can often be quite different for LGBTQ+ folks. That's when the familiar faces start to show up, like SNL's Bowen Yang, Scandal's Guillermo Díaz and Glee's Dot-Marie Jones. But the cast also features the likes of the iconic Harvey Fierstein, comedian Benito Skinner, and RuPauls' Drag Race winner Symone. 

Through the trailer we're eventually shown the main romantic story, which is shared between Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The two seemingly meet at a crowded gay bar, where they spar about the high physical standards of the gay community. Although it certainly doesn't look like that meet cute turns off either party.

There's some truly hilarious jokes throughout this first trailer for Bros, many of which are quite specific to the queer community. One runner sees Billy Eichner's character chatting with a guy on a hook-up application, who is insistent on seeing a photo of the protagonist's butt. Eichner goes to great lengths, including using a ring light for an impromptu photoshoot of his booty... only to be immediately blocked by the guy.

The very end of the trailer also featured a delightful scene, where Guillermo Díaz's character jokes that the rom-com's two male leads might both be bottoms. This is overheard by two small children, who do the "bottom dance", much to Billy Eichner's horror. He laments "gay sex was more fun when straight people were uncomfortable with it." And all of this occurs as Queen's "Somebody To Love" is heard in the background.

Bros will hit theaters on September 30th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Over the past few years, there’s been a ton of conversations revolving around representation in the film industry. In addition to the call for more diversity on and off screen, some have advocated that more LGBT+ character should be played by queer actors. Aaron Sorkin recently went viral when speaking against this concept, leading Billy Eichner to respond. And he definitely didn’t hold back.

LGBT+ representation is clearly an issue Billy Eichner feels strongly about, with his new movie Bros making history for being made up of an entirely queer cast. So when the legendary Aaron Sorkin came out against the concept of gay characters being played exclusively by LGBT actors, Eichner also made his voice known. The Billy on the Street host posted on social media that Sorkin was:

Well, that certainly was honest. Billy Eichner is not holding back when addressing Aaron Sorkin’s viral comments about LGBT representation. Luckily he’s able to make a difference in this regard thanks to his own upcoming projects.

Billy Eichner responded to Aaron Sorkin over on his personal Twitter account, with the tweet in question getting thousands of likes. Because while acting is all about stepping into someone else’s shoes, the film industry has a history of shutting out openly queer actors. And as such, he seems to think that Sorkin's point of view is a bit tone deaf.

For those unfamiliar, Aaron Sorkin recently offered his thoughts about representation while doing press for his latest movie, Being the Ricardos. The subject was broached at least partly due to conversations surrounding Javier Bardem’s role as Desi Arnaz. Arnaz was Cuban, Bardem’s family is from Spain. Sorkin’s comments read:

Clearly the discourse surrounding representation in the media is going to continue for the foreseeable future. Because while more queer stories are being told, there’s been some backlash to straight actors taking roles that otherwise could have been played by LGBT+ folks. A recent example of this would be James Corden’s role in the movie musical The Prom, which some people found offensive and stereotypical. 

Billy Eichner’s Bros is currently expected to arrive in theaters on August 12th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. Or go watch Being the Ricardos – now available on Prime Video

Romantic comedies used to be a moviegoing staple. Everyone from Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan to Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant would frequent the genre as they became box office hits and all-time favorites. But with that came a lot of studio romantic comedies – and not one of them featured a same-sex couple falling in love being the center of the story. It's time to change that Hollywood, don’t you think? Billy Eichner's upcoming movie Bros is finally moving the tides, and in more ways than one.

Bros has been in development at Universal for over a year, but now its cast and director has been lined up ahead of its 2022 release date. The movie is already makes the Billy on the Street star the first openly gay man to co-write and lead his own major studio film, its cast is also setting a record for Hollywood as well. As Eichner announced on his Twitter:

The romantic comedy will not only feature two gay leading men falling in love, but every other member of the prinicpal cast are openly proud to be part of the LGBTQ+ community. And as Billy Eichner shared, even the key straight roles in the film will be played by queer actors. When speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, he expanded on the exciting news:

Billy Eichner’s love interest in Bros will be played by Luke Macfarlane of Brothers & Sisters. Also among the cast will be TS Madison, a transgender author, host and new actress who recently found a role in Zola. Miss Lawrence, a gender non-conforming entertainer who was in The United States vs. Billie Holiday and the Season 13 winner of Rupaul’s Drag Race Symone, is also part of Bros.

Bros reportedly is about two men with commitment issues who attempt a relationship with one another. Billy Eichner co-wrote the script with Nicholas Stoller, who created the Netflix series (Eichner also stars in) Friends From College. Stoller will direct the movie, adding to his list of comedic projects he’s helmed prior, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, The Five-Year Engagement and Neighbors. Bros is expected to come out on April 12, 2022.

In Season 1, American Crime Story tackled one of several Trials of the Century with the infamous O.J. Simpson legal battle in The People vs. OJ Simpson. Now, with Season 3, Ryan Murphy's period drama will explore the messy, sensationalized details behind Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky's well-publicized ordeal, leading to the humungous trial at the tail-end of the last millennium, with Impeachment, which stars Beanie Feldstein and Clive Owen as our not-so-discreet adulterers. Also starring Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Margo Martindale, and Edie Falco, this star-studded affair (in more ways than one) is among the most talked-about shows of the fall TV season. And there's a good chance that you're familiar with acclaimed actors at the center of this White House drama. If FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story cast looks familiar, here's why!

Beanie Feldstein (Monica Lewinsky)

As Monica Lewinsky, a young White House intern who becomes the center of a national scandal, Beanie Feldstein plays our overwhelmed lead character in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. She's also a producer for the anthology series. Following her breakout performances in Lady Bird and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Feldstein gained notice and acclaim for her Golden Globe-nominated starring role in Booksmart. Her other movie credits include The Female Brain and How to Build a Girl. Later this year, Feldstein will be seen in The Humans. She's also filming the long-in-the-works Merrily We Roll Along.

Additionally, away from film, Beanie Feldstein starred in Broadway's Hello, Dolly! She's also set to star in Broadway's Funny Girl in 2022. On TV, furthermore, Feldstein has a recurring role in FX's What We Do in the Shadows. She can also be seen in Orange Is the New Black and Grey's Anatomy. Last year, Feldstein appeared in Quibi's Home Movie: The Princess Bride. She'll also lend her voice to Apple TV+'s Harriet the Spy.

Clive Owen (President Bill Clinton)

In the role of President Bill Clinton, the head of state who is charged with perjury and is impeached during his time in office, Clive Owen plays the man at the center of this nationwide scandal in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Previously, Owen was Emmy-nominated for playing Ernest Hemingway in HBO's Hemingway & Gellhorn. The actor also starred in Cinemax's excellent The Knick, for which he was Golden Globe-nominated, and Apple TV+'s Lisey's Story. Next, Owen will star in Monsieur Spade.

Additionally, away from television, Owen was Oscar-nominated for his performance in Closer. He also won a Golden Globe for his lead role in Croupier. Owen's other notable film credits include Children of Men, Inside Man, Sin City, The International, Close My Eyes, Shoot 'Em Up, King Arthur, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Gosford Park, Gemini Man, The Song of Names, and Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. The actor was also recently seen in Romantic Guide to Lost Places, which premiered in Italy last year.

Sarah Paulson (Linda Tripp)

Playing the part of Linda Tripp, an American civil servant who secretly recorded Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton's intimate phone conversations, Sarah Paulson is an important, inciting character in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Paulson won an Emmy for her portrayal of Marcia Clark in The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. She was also nominated for several American Horror Story seasons, including Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, and Cult. Additionally, Paulson gave an Emmy-nominated performance as Nicolle Wallace in HBO's Game Change.

In addition to the shows listed above, Sarah Paulson worked with Ryan Murphy on FX's Feud: Bette and Joan and Netflix's Ratched. Additionally, she starred in American Gothic, Deadwood, and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Last year, Paulson appeared in Hulu's Mrs. America. Furthermore, in film, the actress frontlined Hulu's Run. She was also seen in Bird Box, Glass, Ocean's 8, 12 Years a Slave, Mud, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The Notorious Bettie Page, Carol, Blue Jay, The Post, and What Women Want.

Annaleigh Ashford (Paula Jones)

As Paula Jones, an Arkansas state employee who sued President Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, Annaleigh Ashford plays one of the central women in the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, the actress won a Tony award for her Broadway performance in You Can't Take It With You. Ashford's other Broadway credits include Kinky Boots, Sylvia, Sunday in the Park with George, Wicked, and Hair. Outside of theater, Ashford is known for playing Betty DiMello in Showtime's Masters of Sex. She also currently stars in CBS's B Positive. Additionally, Ashford appeared in The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story and had recurring roles in God Friended Me, Younger, Unbelievable, and Smash. Last year, the actress was seen in The Undoing and The Good Fight and she was heard in Q-Force.

Elsewhere, Annaleigh Ashford appeared in Rachel Getting Married, Sex and the City, Unicorn Store, Late Night, Top Five, and last year's A Rainy Day in New York and HBO's Bad Education. She was also heard in Frozen. Next, Ashford stars in American Reject.

Margo Martindale (Lucianne Goldberg)

In the role of Lucianne Goldberg, the literary agent who coerced Linda Tripp into taping Monica's phone calls, Margo Martindale plays a key counsel in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Martindale won an Emmy for her standout performance as Mags Bennett in FX's Justified. She also won two Emmys for playing Claudia in The Americans. Furthermore, Martindale played Ruth Eastman in The Good Wife and The Good Fight and Audrey Bernhardt in Sneaky Pete. She also starred in Hulu's Mrs. America. Martindale's other TV credits include Your Honor, The Millers, Dexter, and The Riches. Additionally, as a voice actress, she can be heard in DuckTales, Infinity Train, and BoJack Horseman, where she played an outlandish version of herself.

Furthermore, away from TV, Margo Martindale was Tony-nominated for her Broadway debut in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Her notable film credits include The Hours, Million Dollar Baby, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, The Firm, The Savages, and August: Osage County. Next, Martindale will appear in Shoot the Rooster and Cocaine Bear.

Edie Falco (Hillary Clinton)

Playing the part of Hillary Clinton, the disgruntled First Lady to her salacious president husband, Edie Falco gets a standout role in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Falco is acclaimed for her masterful portrayal as Carmela Soprano in HBO's The Sopranos, for which she won three Emmys. She also won an Emmy for her title role in Showtime's Nurse Jackie. Additionally, Falco was Emmy-nominated for NBC's 30 Rock and NBC's Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Her other TV credits include Horace & Pete, Tommy, Oz, Law & Order, and Homicide: Life on the Street.

Away from TV, Edie Falco was Tony-nominated for her lead performance in Broadway's The House of Blue Leaves. Her notable film credits include Laws of Gravity, Judy Berlin, Sunshine State, Freedomland, The Comedian, Bullets Over Broadway, Cop Land, Landline, The Quiet, Megan Leavey, Private Parts, and The Land of Steady Habits. Next, Falco plays General Ardmore in Avatar 2 and 3. The actress will also appear in El Tonto.

Billy Eichner (Matt Drudge)

As Matt Drudge, the founder of the eponymous political publication, Drudge Report, Billy Eichner plays the reporter who broke the news of the scandal of the Lewinsky cheating scandal in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Eichner is the star and creator of Funny or Die's Billy on the Street, which became truTV's show of the same name. He received three Emmy nominations. Additionally, Eichner played Billy Epstein in Hulu's Difficult People and Craig Middlebrooks in NBC's Parks and Recreation. He also worked with Ryan Murphy on American Horror Story: Cult and Apocalypse. Eichner's other notable TV credits include Bob's Burgers and Friends from College. Most recently, the actor-comedian guest-starred in Apple TV+'s Dickinson.

Furthermore, on the big screen, Billy Eichner voiced Timon in The Lion King (2019). He also appeared in Noelle, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Most Likely to Murder, Sleeping with Other People, and What Happens in Vegas. Moreover, Eichner lent his voice to Penguins of Madagascar and The Angry Birds Movie. Next, he'll write and star in BROS.

Elizabeth Reaser (Kathleen Willey)

In the role of Kathleen Willey, a White House aide who made allegations against President Bill Clinton on 60 Minutes, Elizabeth Reaser plays a serious supporting part in Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Reaser played Shirley Crain in Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House. She also had recurring roles in Grey's Anatomy, The Good Wife, and Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders. Additionally, Reaser had main parts in Saved, The Ex List, Manhunt: Unabomber, and Bonnie and Clyde: Dead and Alive. Her other notable TV credits include Easy, The Handmaid's Tale, and Mad Men. Most recently, the film-TV actress appeared in Quibi's 50 States of Fright.

Furthermore, on the big screen, Elizabeth Reaser played Esme Cullen in The Twilight Saga. She also starred in Ouija: Origin of Evil. Moreover, Reaser appeared in Young Adult, Liberal Arts, The Family Stone, One & Two, Stay, Mind the Gap, The Believer, Puccini for Beginners, Against the Current, Purple Violets, Nightmare Cinema, Emmet's Mark, and Hello, My Name Is Doris. Most recently, the actress was seen in Embattled.

Cobie Smulders (Ann Coulter)

Playing the part of Ann Coulter, a lawyer and Senate aide who gives Linda Tripp and Paul Jones' legal aide, Cobie Smulders takes on a ridiculed media personality in FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Smulders starred in CBS's long-running sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, in the role of Robin Scherbatsky. Additionally, the actress starred in ABC's short-lived Stumptown and Veritas: The Quest, as well as Netflix's Friends from College, and she played a recurring role in Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Moreover, Smulders can be seen in The L Word and Andromeda.

Furthermore, in film, Cobie Smulders is a recurring presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Maria Hill. Specifically, she can be seen in The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. Additionally, Smulders lent her voice to Disney+'s What If ...? Also, the film and TV actress starred in Results, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, and Safe Haven. Earlier this year, Smulders could be seen in Cicada.

Colin Hanks (Mike Emmick)

As Mike Emmick, one of Ken Starr's top men, Colin Hanks plays a notable supporting character in Impeachment: American Crime Story. The eldest son of Tom Hanks, the actor frontlined CBS's Life in Pieces in the role of Greg Short. Also, Hanks was Emmy-nominated for his portrayal of Gus Grimly in Fargo Season 1. Additionally, the actor starred in The WB's Roswell and Fox's The Good Guys. Hanks' other TV credits include Dexter, Mad Men, Numb3rs, NCIS, Burning Love, Bad Teacher, Talking Tom and Friends, Drunk History, and What Lives Inside. Currently, he's filming Paramount+'s The Offer.

Furthermore, away from television, Colin Hanks starred in Orange County, The Great Buck Howard, and Lucky. He also played Adult Alex Vreeke in the Jumanji movies. Hanks' other notable film credits include The House Bunny, King Kong (2005), Elvis & Nixon, W., The Guilt Trip, Band Aid, Vacation (2015), Untraceable, Get Over It, That Thing You Do!, and Parkland. Most recently, the film and TV actor was seen in How It Ends.

Judith Light (Susan Carpenter-McMillan)

In the role of Susan Carpenter-McMillan, the conservative spokesperson who headed Paula Jones' legal fund, Judith Light reunites with producer Ryan Murphy with FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story. Most notably, Light won two Daytime Emmys for her performance as Karen Wolek in ABC's One Life to Live. Additionally, Light received two Emmy nominations for playing Shelly Pfefferman in Amazon Prime's Transparent. She was also nominated for her work in ABC's Ugly Betty and FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. Furthermore, Light appeared in Murphy's The Politician. The TV actress also starred in ABC's Who's the Boss? as Angela Bower and had a recurring role as Elizabeth Donnelly in NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

Away from television, Judith Light won two consecutive Tonys for her performances in 2012's Other Desert Cities and 2013's The Assembled Parties. She was previously nominated for her lead role in Lombardi. Earlier this year, Light was seen in The Same Storm. Next, she'll appear in tick, tick ... BOOM!, The Menu, and Starz's Shining Vale.

Impeachment: American Crime Story airs on FX. It's available to stream on Hulu.

From hosting Billy on the Street and appearing in Parks & Recreation final seasons to voicing Timon in the “live-action” remake of The Lion King, Billy Eichner is accomplished a lot over his career. For his next project, Eichner is embarking into new territory by starring in a romantic comedy about gay men titled Bros. Understandably pleased that the project is moving forward, Eichner sent out a special message Julia Roberts, one of Hollywood’s most famous romantic comedy actors.

It was recently announced that Universal Pictures is officially moving forward with Bros, which is the first romanic comedy about gay men to get the green light from a major studio. Following the good news, Eichner said the following on Twitter:

If you plan on toppling Julia Roberts from the top of the romantic comedy hierarchy, Billy Eichner, you have a difficult task ahead of you. Among the many things Roberts is known for after more than 30 years of professional acting is her run of rom-coms, including Mystic Pizza, Pretty Woman, My Best Friend’s Wedding and Notting Hill. And while Roberts said a few years back that she probably wouldn’t star in any more rom-coms, her time in the genre isn’t done just yet, as she recently signed on to act opposite fellow Ocean’s Eleven alum George Clooney in Ticket to Paradise.

Still, if Bros performs well, perhaps this will pave the way for Billy Eichner to star in more romantic comedies. The chances of him stealing the ‘rom-com queen’ title from Julia Roberts are still slim, but hey, stranger things in life have happened. At the very least, Bros will give Eichner another opportunity to shine in a cinematic setting, with his last live-action movie role being Gabriel Kringle in Disney+’s Noelle.

As Billy Eichner noted in the above tweet, Bros is being produced by Judd Apatow and directed by Nicholas Stoller, who also co-wrote the script with the leading man. Eichner and Stoller previously worked together on Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising and the Netflix series Friends From College, and the latter’s resume also includes movies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Five-Year Engagement on his resume. So he’s a director who’s experienced working within the romantic comedy genre.

The only plot details that have been revealed about Bros so far is that it will follow two men with commitment issues who try to form a romantic relationship. There’s no word yet on who will join Eichner in the main cast, although with Bros being slated for August 12, 2022, one would imagine that filming will begin relatively soon. So if any other big names are added to Bros, we’ll be sure to let you know.

In the meantime, you’re welcome to catch up to speed with what movies are lined up this year with our 2021 release schedule, or you can look through our picks for the best romanic comedies released in 2020.

After just one season in the role, it was announced that Ruby Rose was leaving Batwoman ahead of Season 2. Suffice it to say that the news was pretty shocking. Her departure marked the first time a leading role would have to be recast in all of Arrowverse history, so it was a big deal. Who could replace Rose in the role of Kate Kane / Batwoman? Well, one American Horror Story star has thrown his hat in the ring for consideration.

Batwoman Season 1 ended with Alice bestowing Tommy Elliot with a whole new face, that of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. It was a great way to cap off the freshman season after production shutdowns in March reduced the episode order. With the superhero show already renewed for Season 2, things were looking up. Then, unexpectedly, Ruby Rose parted ways with the series. That left a gaping hole to fill, and American Horror Story vet Billy Eichner took to Twitter to express his interest in taking on that responsibility. Check out his post below!

Billy Eichner would certainly make for a fun casting, though I’m not sure it’s what The CW and Warner Bros. had in mind. He’s got a lot of time on his hands, so he made another post asking about possibly playing Batwoman. His passion for Kate Kane was very much alive! Read what he said below.

Naturally, the Parks and Recreation alum was joking about playing Batwoman, but it’s pretty funny nonetheless. That said, if the actor were to, theoretically, play the red-haired superhero, I’d imagine his weapon of choice would be a cleaning product. Disinfecting the soles of his shoes? That’s dedication to cleanliness right there.

Ruby Rose was first cast as Batwoman ahead of the Arrowverse’s “Elseworlds” crossover event in 2018 and appeared to assist Green Arrow, The Flash, and Supegirl in their search for John Deegan. A few months later, in May of 2019, Batwoman was picked up to series by The CW. Rose’s shocking choice to step down from playing Batwoman proved to be a “very difficult decision,” but she made it clear that she was “truly grateful” for the opportunity to play Kate Kane.

The role of Batwoman will definitely be recast in the coming months, though how far along in the process The CW might be is currently unclear. If the search doesn’t go well and things get really desperate, Billy Eichner seems more than ready to don the cape and cowl. Either way, it looks like Tommy Elliot isn’t the only one who’ll have a new face in Season 2.

Batwoman Season 2, along with new seasons of The Flash, Black Lightning and freshman series Superman & Lois, won’t premiere until January 2021. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for updates. For more on what to watch in the meantime, be sure to check out our 2020 summer TV premiere guide.

In the upcoming photo-realistic remake of The Lion King, Seth Rogen takes on the role of the lovable and carefree warthog Pumbaa. It’s not the actor’s first foray into the realm of voice acting, he previously starred in the Kung Fu Panda series and Sausage Party, but it was a different filming experience alongside Timon actor Billy Eichner. That difference made Seth Rogen’s Pumbaa one of the actor’s ‘most naturalistic’ performances, as he explained:

It is common in animated movies, which for all intents and purposes The Lion King essentially is, to have the voice cast record their dialogue at different times. This was the case with Woody and Buzz actors, and real life friends Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in Toy Story 4. But for The Lion King, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner actually got to record their dialogue together and from the sound of it, that had a huge impact on the performances.

As Seth Rogen told Variety, he and Billy Eichner were together for the recording and were able to build a natural rapport versus just acting by themselves. Therefore, they were able to play off one another and have that bond that best friends Timon and Pumbaa share in the story come though in their performances. That realistic interaction with his co-star made Seth Rogen’s performance his most naturalistic, even though he was playing a grub-loving warthog.

Plenty of animated films get by just fine without having the actors in the same room, but for Seth Rogen, he doesn’t think that the back and forth between Timon and Pumbaa would have been as natural if he and Billy Eichner had recorded their dialogue separately. And for two characters whose dynamic is beloved in the original movie and crucial to the comedy in this one, that is important.

Billy Eichner, the voice of meerkat Timon, echoed Seth Rogen’s sentiments. He said:

Whether audiences will ultimately be able to tell the difference or not, it seems that the recording process for The Lion King was a rewarding one for all involved. Scheduling usually makes recording all together difficult, but they somehow made it work for Jon Favreau’s remake and that allowed the actors to actually act opposite one another, creating for a more authentic performance.

As Billy Eichner revealed, it wasn’t just Timon and Pumbaa, asince Donald Glover, who voices Simba, was also on hand for the ‘Hakuna Matata’ scene. A recent featurette from the film gave us a glimpse of this collaboration, with professional musician Glover complimenting Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner’s singing. This approach to recording allowed for some real improvisation that will hopefully result in some fun dialogue that helps to differentiate the remake from the iconic 1994 original.

The Lion King is breaking pre-sales records and could be one of the films to save a rather disappointing summer at the box office. We’ll see how it all turns out when The Lion King roars into theaters on July 19. Check out our premiere guide to keep track of all the other big movies still to come in the second half of this year.

Disney has an impressive library of animated movies, but since the start of the decade, the studio has been selecting numerous tales from this collection to adapt for live action. This includes using the best special and visual effects the movie-making industry has to offer to achieve a live action look for Disney movies that couldn't be fully or partially adapted in traditional live action. The Jungle Book did that in 2016 with everything that wasn't Mowgli, and following in its footsteps is The Lion King, arguably the biggest hit from the Disney Renaissance era.

The 1994 Lion King is still one of Disney's most popular releases, so this "live action" remake has its job cut out to come anywhere close to the legacy its animated predecessor has built up. That being said, the news surrounding the movie indicates that this is shaping up to be one of the studio's most ambitious projects. With that in mind, we've gathered all the details that have been released so far about The Lion King so you have a better idea of what to expect from this new journey into the Pride Rock kingdom.

What Have We Seen From The Lion King?

It took a while, but after getting a teaser in late November 2018, we finally got the full trailer for The Lion King in early April 2019, and, as you can see from the above video, it gave fans of the original a good look at how the characters in this version will fulfill all our dreams of the classic. Got chills yet?

What Is The Lion King's Release Date?

The Lion King will be released in theaters on July 19, 2019, a little over 25 years after the animated movie was released. Disney's recent live action remakes have traditionally come out between March and May, so putting Lion King in the latter half of the summer movie season is an interesting move. The main reason for this is likely because Dumbo already came out on March 29 of this year, and Aladdin debuted on May 24, so this gives each remake a bit of breathing room.

Of course, this is Disney we're talking about; the studio's track record with movies in the summer (even if it's more on the commercial side than the critical) is typically great. Plus, the original Lion King movie remains one of Disney's most popular animated releases, so you can be sure that audiences will come out in droves to see this new adaptation. So, the July release date probably won't affect The Lion King's performance negatively, and it doesn't seem that this will change, since no other studio has scheduled its own highly-anticipated blockbuster for that same opening weekend.

What Is The Lion King's Rating?

It took a while for us to learn what The Lion King's official MPAA rating would be, but looking at the studio's other live action remakes and the target audience, we were able to logically surmise that it would end up being a PG feature. Look at 2016's The Jungle Book. That was rated PG for "some sequences of scary action and peril." While The Lion King doesn't have a human as its central character like The Jungle Book did, the animal-centric action from the latter was a good indicator that the former would earn a similar rating.

Disney wants this movie to be accessible to almost everyone, so while the remake may have taken some creative liberties to be darker than its predecessor, the studio wouldn't risk making it PG-13. The Lion King has been rated PG "for sequences of violence and peril, and some thematic elements." So, it might be wise to leave the little ones at home and let them enjoy the animated Lion King for a few years before exposing them to this more intense version.

The Lion King's Director

Jon Favreau kicked off his directing career with 2001's Made, and he followed that up with 2003's Elf and 2005's Zathura. 2008's Iron Man, however, marked his biggest blockbuster venture yet, and, along with 2010's Iron Man 2, he helped lay the groundwork for what the Marvel Cinematic Universe would become in later years. After scaling back his MCU duties, Favreau kept the blockbuster train going with 2011's Cowboys and Aliens, and three years after that, he released the acclaimed comedy-drama Chef, which he also wrote and starred in.

This brings us to 2016's The Jungle Book, which was one of Disney's biggest hits of that year and no doubt the reason Favreau was tasked with tackling The Lion King before The Jungle Book 2. Favreau has proven he can deliver a compelling story revolved around realistic-looking, talking animals, so giving audiences a good Lion King re-telling should be no sweat for him.

Is The Live Action Lion King A Musical?

Disney's live action remakes have varied in terms of how closely they match the animated movies they're based off of. Some are straightforward adaptations that have taken a few creative liberties, like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Others have been significantly different from their animated predecessors, like Maleficent and Alice in Wonderland.

It remains to be seen how much of the live action Lion King's plot will deviate from the original movie, but it's been confirmed that this new version (which is being penned by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales writer Jeff Nathanson) will remain a musical that features songs that we remember Simba and the gang belting out. Like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King remake has thrown in an original tune to add extra flair, and, as a side note, Hans Zimmer has also been brought back to score the remake. Here's the complete soundtrack list:

Simba

After J.D. McCrary from K.C. Undercover is done voicing young Simba in The Lion King remake, Donald Glover will take over as the adult prince. Some of you may know Glover better as the rapper Childish Gambino, but since the start of the decade, Glover's acting profile has soared to impressive heights. For years he was primarily known as Troy Barnes on the TV series Community, but since then, he's appeared in big movies like Magic Mike XXL, The Martian and Spider-Man: Homecoming, and he also played Lando Calrissian in last year's Han Solo movie.

Glover has also been keeping his foot in the TV world through his work on the Emmy-nominated Atlanta. Even though we won't see his face, Glover appearing in The Lion King (and following in Matthew Broderick's footsteps) will be a good way for him to reach a younger demographic that isn't old enough to watch his other work.

Mufasa

The Lion King remake has only brought back one actor from the original movie, but of all the original performers who could have returned, no doubt this is the person most people wanted back for a reprisal. James Earl Jones will be voicing Mufasa again, and this is a solid choice. Jones' voice is one of the best in Hollywood, and if he's willing to bring life to the king of Pride Rock for a second time on the silver screen, then all power to him. This is the second character that Jones has recently revisited, as he reprised Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the Star Wars Rebels TV series.

Nala

It's now official: Beyonce has snagged the role of Nala, taking over once Shahadi Wright Joseph from Hairspray Live! is through voicing the lioness. It was reported at the end of March 2017 that Beyonce was Favreau's top choice to voice Nala, but at the time, she hadn't made a decision about accepting the role because of her pregnancy. By August 2017, Beyonce was said to be nearing a "huge deal" to portray the lioness, and months later, she was finally announced as part of the cast.

We also know that her involvement won't just be acting-related. She was reportedly in talks to produce The Lion King's soundtrack, filling the same position that Elton John did in the animated movie. While that doesn't seem to have come to pass, she will be singing at least one song for the remake. With a colossal production like this, her talents will be incredibly valued.

Scar

Having signed on the dotted line, Chiwetel Ejiofor will succeed Jeremy Irons as the voice of Scar in The Lion King remake. This will be Ejiofor's first foray into voice acting, but his face has become all too familiar on the Hollywood circuit. Some of you may remember Ejiofor's earlier appearances in movies like Love Actually and Kinky Boots, but he scored worldwide acclaim in 2013 with his performance as Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave.

Since then, he's had major roles in The Martian, Triple 9 and Doctor Strange. Ejiofor typically plays good guys on the big screen, but with that deep voice of his, we have no doubt he can deliver an intimidating Scar to the masses.

Timon

Simba left Pride Rock at a young age, but, thankfully, he has two figures to guide him into adulthood and give him a unique perspective on life. One of those animals was Timon, who was originally voiced by Nathan Lane. For the remake, Billy Eichner will take over as the meerkat, whose voice is just as memorable as Lane's, albeit in a different way.

Eichner is best know for playing Craig Middlebrooks on Parks & Recreation and Bill Epstein on Difficult People, as well as for chatting up New York City pedestrians on Billy on the Street. With Eichner playing Timon, we can't help wondering if this version of the character will be louder as he's explaining the merits of Hakuna Matata.

Pumbaa

You can't have Timon without Pumbaa right by his side, and while Ernie Sabella has continued to voice the flatulent warthog in various Lion King spinoff material, Seth Rogen will take over for the remake. While Rogen is famous for being one of Hollywood's top comedy actors, most of his movies definitely aren't family friendly (don't be fooled by Sausage Party).

However, he did voice Hogsqueal in 2008's The Spiderwick Chronicles, B.O.B in 2009's Monsters vs. Aliens and Mantis in 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3, so he can build off those performances with The Lion King to broaden his reach to younger moviegoers. They'll still have to wait a few more years to see what he does in live action, though.

Zazu

Even great rulers need help running their kingdoms efficiently, and Mufasa was fortunate to have the hornbill Zazu aiding him. Rowan Atkinson breathed life into the uptight majordomo in the original Lion King, and for the remake, John Oliver is taking over as the bird-brained confidant. Oliver is primarily known for his political comedy work on The Daily Show and currently with Last Week Tonight, but he's also built an impressive resume of voice work, from Bob's Burgers to Rick and Morty to the first two Smurfs movies. We're confident Oliver can deliver a stellar performance as the new Zazu, so he shouldn't ruffle any feathers.

Rafiki

Another member of Musfasa's "staff" is Rafiki, the mandrill who serves as the shaman of Pride Rock. The late Robert Guillame's version of Rafiki is best remembered from the animated Lion King for holding up the baby Simba for all the animals in front of Pride Rock to see. For the live action remake, Captain America: Civil War's John Kani will take over as Rafiki, and we're confident that he'll remain an important ally to both Mufasa and Simba. The big question is if Rafiki will be just as eccentric as he originally was or if he'll be toned down for this re-telling.

Sarabi

Simba's mother, Sarabi, didn't have nearly as much to do in The Lion King as daddy Mufasa did, but her presence was nonetheless valued. We're hoping that Alfre Woodard's version of the lioness will have more to do in the remake than Madge Sinclair's version did (maybe she can more actively aid Simba in overthrowing Scar). Regardless, Woodard is still a welcome addition to the cast. Her recent credits include State of Affairs, Luke Cage, Burning Sands and A Series of Unfortunate Events.

The Hyenas

The final characters on this list are Scar's goons, the hyenas Shenzi, Banzai and Ed. Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings voiced the trio, respectively, in the animated movie, and their realistic-looking counterparts will be played by Emerald City's Florence Kasumba, Man Seeking Woman's Eric Andre and Key & Peele's Keegan-Michael Key. However, while Kasumba's hyena is still named Shenzi, Andre and Key's hyenas have been renamed Azizi and Kamari, respectively.

It's unclear why there's been a name change, but let's not discount that they might be significantly altered in other ways. Perhaps the hyenas' comedic tendencies will be toned down in favor of making them scarier. The footage we've gotten so far from The Lion King hasn't given us a better idea of how they'll fit into the movie, but at the very least, you can expect them to continue carrying out Scar's will and to drop some sass while doing so.

The Lion King is just a little over a week from opening now, so be sure to bookmark this guide and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for important updates on Disney's live action remake!

Most of the marketing thus far for Disney’s upcoming “live-action” remake of The Lion King has focused on Mufasa, Simba, Scar and the broad strokes of the familiar story, but we haven’t seen too much of Timon and Pumbaa. Thankfully, Seth Rogen has remedied that, sharing a new clip from the film that really lets fans see the personalities of everyone’s favorite comedic meerkat and warthog duo. Check it out:

They may be moving into the CGI realm and have different actors voicing them, but The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa are clearly still the hilarious best friends we all fell in love with 25 years ago. In this clip, Billy Eichner’s Timon is his usual somewhat bossy self, letting Simba know the way things are done in their neck of the woods, which is wherever they feel like being.

It’s no wonder Seth Rogen shared this clip on Twitter, because it really shows how well his voice fits the lovable warthog Pumbaa. He really nails the happy-go-lucky personality of Pumbaa and how he is both kind and well intentioned while also coming off as a bit clueless.

The contrasting personalities of Timon and Pumbaa is what makes them so entertaining as a pair and this clip gives us a sense of that with some funny back and forth. Timon and Pumbaa’s taste for bugs and grubs is well known and should prove even grosser in live-action and Pumbaa’s bit about the delicacies being local is pretty funny and very much in character.

This clip also gives us a better look at the animals in the film talking than the main trailers have done. For me, I think this aspect will take a little getting used to. The photo-realism means that the animals can’t be anthropomorphized and emote unnaturally but it also makes their mouth movements less pronounced. It looks like Jon Favreau and his team managed to strike a good balance, though.

The marketing for The Lion King has also largely kept the film’s iconic songs close to the vest, only giving us brief snippets of them like “Hakuna Matata.” Here we get Timon and Pumbaa humming the harmony to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” which, it turns out, is not originally from The Lion King and is the subject of a new Netflix documentary about its long and complicated history.

The somewhat slumping summer box office is hoping for a kingly performance from The Lion King and it just might get it. The film is breaking pre-sales records and tracking has it pegged to possibly open in the $200 million range. Of course, tracking has been especially hit and miss of late. Regardless of where it ultimately lands, audiences are definitely excited to see Timon, Pumbaa and the rest of the Pride Lands gang onscreen again.

The Lion King roars into theaters on July 19. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to prep for all the other movies coming in the second half of this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest in problem free philosophies.

The Parks And Recreation cast has become legendary since it started its run on NBC a decade ago -- yes a decade -- in 2009. Not only did the show produce some of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, like Chris Pratt and Aziz Ansari, but its endless parade of guest stars and cameos is also amazing.

Parks & Rec had an amazing ensemble cast, each of whom brought some unique and hilarious to the project. Characters like Tom Haverford and Ron Swanson have broken free of being mere sitcom characters and have become cultural icons. The actors who played them are still some of the funniest people in Hollywood and have continued to make audiences laugh long after the show wrapped up its final episode in 2015.

But which are the funniest? In a cast that includes Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Nick Offerman, and Rob Lowe, not to mention smaller cameos and guests starring roles from the likes of Bill Murray, Andy Samberg, Dan Castellaneta, Patricia Clarkson, Henry Winkler, and so many more legends, how do you rank them? Well, let's take a shot here.

10. Rashida Jones (Ann Perkins)

On Parks And Recreation, Rashida Jones plays the kind and loving nurse and best friend to Leslie, Ann Perkins. While Ann is generally positive and bubbly, she has a dark streak in her too. Her low-key, measured and often deadpan reactions to the chaos that her co-stars create on Park & Rec are fantastic as she often seems to be the only sane person in Pawnee, Indiana.

Rashida Jones herself is Hollywood royalty, as the daughter of Golden Globe-winning actress Peggy Lipton and legendary music producer Quincy Jones. She first hit the big time when she starred as Karen on The Office. Jones is also a writer and a producer and was involved early on as the co-writer on Toy Story 4, and she has also written or co-written an episode of Black Mirror and the underrated rom-com Celeste & Jesse Forever (in which she also starred alongside Andy Samberg).

9. Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt)

Sir Ben Wyatt is the both hapless and brilliant love interest of Leslie Knope. Wyatt is basically a socially inept, awkward nerd who comes to town with a truckload of political baggage thanks to his ill-fated term as the youngest mayor in America in his hometown of Partridge, MN. He also holds a knighthood from the Queen of England and owns his very own Iron Throne from Game Of Thrones.

Adam Scott is a brilliant comedic actor who effortlessly plays understated characters and who brings humor in subtle and unexpected ways, well, except for his over-the-top and ridiculous coke-fueled character in Eastbound & Down. Even still, his character is like a more understated version of Kenny Powers, with a filthy mouth and messed up sense of humor.

8. Billy Eichner (Craig Middlebrooks)

Billy Eichner was a late addition to the Parks and Recreation cast, joining the show in Season 6 when Pawnee merged with Eagleton and he transferred to the parks department. His loud, overly enthusiastic and fairly angry character was a completely new voice for the show.

Since his stint on Parks & Recreation ended, it sure seems like Billy Eichner is everywhere these days, usually playing himself or some version of himself, screaming and carry on wherever he pops up, from late night talk shows to The Simpsons and everywhere else. He’s even got a part in the upcoming Lion King remake. His loud, brash humor is as hilarious as it is uncomfortable.

7. Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger)

When Rob Lowe joined the cast in Season 2, it was only supposed to be for a quick run as a guest star, but the character was so popular and Lowe liked it so much, he soon joined the cast full time as State Auditor and uncompromising health enthusiast Chris Traeger. Chris Traeger is literally one of the funniest characters Rob Lowe has ever played.

By the time he joined Parks & Rec, Rob Lowe was obviously already a huge star, going back to his “Brat Pack” days in the '80s when he starred in movies like St. Elmo’s Fire, and About Last Night, not to mention his hilarious roles in Tommy Boy and Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery. While Rob Lowe has also played serious, dramatic roles, most notably as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing, his charm and humor have always shined through, no matter the role. He also hasn't doesn't take himself too seriously, popping up in cameos all over the place, or starring in movies like Sex Tape, having been one of the original celebrities to deal with the release of one way back in the late '80s.

6. Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate)

Aubrey Plaza’s April Ludgate was such an underused character at the beginning of the Parks and Recreation run. It took some time for the character to properly develop but once she did, it was spectacular. Her unpromisingly dark and nihilistic attitude is the direct foil to her unfailingly positive boyfriend/husband Andy Dwyer and together they are one of the funniest couples in sitcom history.

For her part, Aubrey Plaza has become a huge star since the show, starring usually as a similarly dark character in movies like Dirty Grandpa with Robert De Niro and Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates, not to mention the upcoming reboot of Child's Play. But her best post-Parks & Recreation role may just be as Aaron Burr in the Hamilton episode of Drunk History. It is seriously funny.

5. Megan Mullally (Tammy Swanson – Tammy II)

Tammy II is Ron Swanson’s second wife and the bane of his existence. She is also the director of the Pawnee Public Library and the bane of Leslie’s existence. She is manipulative with both characters and serves as a unifying force for both characters to team up against.

Tammy II is played, of course, by the fantastic Megan Mullally, the real-life wife of Nick Offerman and now an often comedic partner with her husband. For 20 years she has been one of the funniest people in Hollywood, first making a big name for herself in her Emmy-winning performance as Karen Walker on Will & Grace starting in the late '90s. Since then, she’s has shown up in a string of hits, like Boston Legal, 30 Rock, The New Adventures Of Old Christine, and many more, including her current portrayal as Nick Offerman’s sleazy wife in the Sling Box commercials that make commercial breaks worth watching.

4. Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer)

It’s hard to argue that by far the biggest breakout star from Parks And Recreation is Chris Pratt. His character Andy Dwyer started as more or less a side character, a failed musician and deadbeat boyfriend of Ann Perkins who falls into the hole behind their house and ends up working for the Parks Department after marrying April.

As for Chris Pratt, he is now one of the biggest stars in the world, starring in three of the biggest franchises in Hollywood. First as Emmet in The Lego Movie, then as Star-Lord in Guardians Of The Galaxy, and also as the dinosaur handler Owen Grady in Jurassic World and its follow-up, Jurassic Word: Fallen Kingdom, with another Jurassic World movie expected in 2021.

3. Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford)

Tom Haverford has, by far, the most laugh-out-loud lines in Parks And Recreation. His ridiculously bougie aspirations keep the laughs coming from the first episode until the last. He was an early highlight on a show that was notoriously slow to find its footing in the first season. Luckily, once the comedy picked up speed, his character never lost the funny.

Aziz Ansari was another huge breakout star of the show. His multiple stand up specials and his Netflix show Master Of None have been huge hits and Ansari is one of only a handful of stand-up comedians to sell out Madison Square Garden in New York. That tells you everything you need to know about how funny he is.

2. Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope)

The star of Parks And Recreation and one of the funniest people in Hollywood, Amy Poehler has become a legend. Her character, Leslie Knope is a brilliant “every man (or woman),” determined to do good and make the world, or her small part of it, better. Her aspirations should be the aspirations of everyone, except for maybe the obnoxious (but hilarious) enthusiasm for everything. Literally everything.

Poehler got her first big break as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, during one of its most creative and funniest periods, alongside fellow cast members Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, and Tracy Morgan. Amy Poehler has written and starred in countless movies, often with her fellow SNL alum Tina Fey and has been praised for hosting both SNL and The Golden Globes, winning an Emmy for the former. Her latest project, Wine Country, can be found on Netflix.

1. Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson)

Ron Swanson is the undisputed king of Parks And Recreation. As the ornery “man’s man” who heads the department with an attitude that since government is inherently bad, the best way to do a government job is to barely do anything at all, Ron Swanson is great at doing very little at work. He balances his lack of hard work on the job with a slew of “manly” hobbies, like fishing, hunting, woodworking, lounge singing, meat eating, and ex-wives named Tammy.

Nick Offerman’s performance as Ron Swanson puts him in the upper echelon of all-time great sitcom characters, up there with George Costanza, Michael Scott, Liz Lemon, Norm Peterson, and any other great you can think of. In the years since Parks & Rec he has starred in stand-up specials, movies and TV shows like The Lego Movie, The Founder, Fargo and most recently in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens. It’s hard to image how funny life must be at home for two people like Offerman and his wife Megan Mullally.

Of course, there are characters and actors we’ve left off that hurt a lot to leave off, like both Saperstein siblings, Jean-Ralphio and Mona-Lisa, or their father Dr. Saperstein, played by Henry Winkler. There are three Tammys and only one made the list but all three are amazing.

By far the hardest to leave off are the other two full time employees of the Pawnee Parks Department, Donna, played by Retta and Jerry/Garry/Larry/Terry played by Jim O’Heir. They deserve better, as they are amazing too. But a ranked list is a ranked list and this time they didn't quite make the cut. Although if we were ranking by best one-liners, "treat yourself" would have to be on there.

Can you believe we're only 50 days out from The Lion King's big 'live-action' debut? Director Jon Favreau, armed with one of Disney's biggest animated hits of all time and a couple surprises up his sleeve, is about to test that Mouse House magic once again with a remake of this famed film from the '90s.

To celebrate this occasion, the studio has issued brand new posters of the new photo-realistic versions of your favorite characters from The Lion King. And in an interesting exercise, we placed those new character renderings next to their respective voice actors for comparison. See how the circle of life has spun its magic as we work through the list, starting with Simba himself.

Simba – Donald Glover

First off, let it be said that the family resemblance between older Simba and Mufasa is pitch perfect in terms of their new photo-real lion forms. Keep that in mind when you get to Mufasa further down the line, but for now let's get back to the future king. Donald Glover has assumed the vocal responsibilities for the new version of The Lion King, and if they can animate a smile that matches half of his charming grin onto that new form, it'll be a historic achievement.

Nala – Beyonce Knowles-Carter

While The Lion King's cast is definitely supposed to resemble a sort of hybrid between actor and animal, Beyonce and Nala are a pretty fine character match. Both have that regal air about them, and we wouldn't be surprised if after all is said and done, Nala starts to take after her real life counterpart by ruling with firm formation.

Mufasa – James Earl Jones

As the only returning cast member from the original Lion King cast, James Earl Jones will once again play Mufasa. But don't let the translation of Mufasa's looks into a more standard lion form fool you, Jones has indeed recorded all brand new vocals for the remake; even if the material is pretty close to what he had back in 1994. So that warm, authoritative voice will have a brand new animated face to speak out of, with new pearls of wisdom to boot.

Sarabi – Alfre Woodard

As the matriarch of the Pride Rock royal family, Sarabi is played in the modern Lion King cast by none other than legendary actor Alfre Woodard. Looking at both Woodard and Sarabi, there's definitely a similarity between the actor's face and the characters. But strangely enough, a case could be made to say that Simba's grown form gets his eyes from his father, but his finer facial features from his mother.

Scar – Chiwetel Ejiofor

Now here's where we run into a big point of push back between the fans and the animators. With the stellar casting of Chiwetel Ejiofor suiting the role of Simba's evil uncle Scar to a tee, there are some arguments as to whether or not the live-action rendering of this Lion King baddie does the original justice. Sure, he has the characteristically pronounced scar on his face, but depending on if you're a purist or not, the lack of a black mane or sparkling green eyes will have some prepared to accept and others to reject this variant.

Timon – Billy Eichner

Looking at the full poster for Timon's new Lion King makeover, it's comical how his character is proportioned on his one-sheet versus the rest of the cast. While most others have close ups that span between the title block and the character credit at the top, Billy Eichner's neurotic guru of the jungle is not so lucky, what with meerkats being of smaller stature than most of the other characters on display. Though, to be fair, that just lends to his credibility as an adorable singing dispensary of wisdom.

Pumbaa – Seth Rogen

The folks at Disney are really nailing it with Seth Rogen's Pumbaa, as The Lion King's better half to Billy Eichner's Timon looks like another one of those renderings that captures the spirt of character and performance perfectly. What's even funnier is the fact that when it comes to Rogen's smile, as well as the texture of his hair, Pumbaa seems to be a spiritual match, which will probably make him even more emotional about taking his place in Disney history.

Zazu – John Oliver

While you can't make a Hornbill look perfectly like John Oliver, at least not without some serious explaining to do, Zazu's new look in The Lion King is exactly what you'd expect when it comes to the king's majordomo. An air of informative wisdom and self-serious behavior show in both Oliver and his animated avatar, which has us thinking that if HBO and Disney could be the best of friends for one night, we could get an episode of Last Week Tonight in Pride Rock with Zazu.

Rafiki – John Kani

Wise counsel to Mufasa, and later Simba, in matters of Pride Rock, Rafiki's life lessons and blessings unify the royal family in their fates, and bring Simba back to his homeland when it needs him the most. Black Panther's John Kani plays the role of the shrewd baboon, who's always ready to literally knock some sense into someone in their darkest hour. Honestly, out of all of the characters we've seen so far, the resemblance between Kani and Rafiki is so close it's awe inspiring.

Young Simba – JD McCrary

We close out our cast rundown from The Lion King with the youngest characters in the main cast, young Simba and Nala. In the case of the young cat who wants to be king, recording artist and actor JD McCrary is the guy with the skills to bring Simba's cub days to life. And much like that little lion who will ascend to the throne, Mr. McCrary matches the light, eager energy that we know Simba to radiate in this part of his journey.

Young Nala – Shahadi Wright Joseph

Simba and Nala: a pair as iconic as any you could dream of from Disney storytelling. Just as it's important to see Simba go from wild eyed wander to restless voyager, we need to see Nala go from partner-in-crime to a stalwart supporter against Scar's legion. You can see both in the expression of the lion component of Nala, and you'll surely be able to hear it in not only Beyonce's adult version of the character, but also in Us star Shahadi Wright Joseph's performance as young Nala.

Remaking The Lion King is a task that could go either wonderfully right or horribly wrong. From the looks of the characters we're seeing come to the screen in these images, it looks like things are trending towards the better. If that's not Disney magic, then we don't know what is.

The Lion King graces Pride Rock with its presence, and that modern Disney magic, on July 19.

American Horror Story is coming back to FX this fall for Season 8 under the subtitle Apocalypse, and creator Ryan Murphy is getting a lot of his previous AHS players back together for this next go-round in hell on Earth. So that we can keep fans up to date on the growing cast of the newest iteration of the popular horror franchise, we have for you now a cast list with all the confirmed actors for American Horror Story: Apocalypse, a tale that will reportedly begin with the end of the world, including new and (thankfully) returning players. Let's get started!

Taissa Farmiga

Taissa Farmiga is quite the familiar face around AHS, with roles so far in the Murder House, Coven and Roanoke seasons of the anthology series. There's no word on who Farmiga will be playing in the new season just yet, but you can probably bet the character will be pretty intriguing.

Gabourey Sidibe

Gabourey Sidibe will also be returning to AHS when Apocalypse debuts on FX this fall. The actress has already appeared in Coven, Freak Show and Hotel, playing the role of Queenie twice.

Lily Rabe

Lily Rabe will be appearing in her seventh season of American Horror Story when Apocalypse comes around in a few months. So far, she's played roles in Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel and Roanoke, notably portraying shy nun/devil possession vehicle Sister Mary Eunice in two seasons.

Frances Conroy

Season 8 of American Horror Story will welcome actress Frances Conroy back for her seventh role in the franchise. Conroy has previously appeared in Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Roanoke and Cult.

Stevie Nicks

Witchy woman and acclaimed singer Stevie Nicks will be returning to AHS for the first time since her single appearance as herself in one episode of Coven, during Apocalypse. There's no word on who she'll be playing yet, or if Nicks will bring her signature "magical delights" back to the series this time around.

Kathy Bates

Ready for her fifth season of American Horror Story is Kathy Bates. After taking on amazing roles in Coven, Freak Show, Hotel and Roanoke, she's going to step into the part of Miss Meade for Apocalypse.

Sarah Paulson

Another very recognizable face to AHS fans, Sarah Paulson will be returning to the fold once more when Apocalypse gets underway. The actress is one of the few to have played multiple roles in several of the seasons she's been a part of, with work on Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke and Cult under her creepy ass belt. Paulson will tackle multiple parts on this season as well, with her characters revealed as Venable, Cordelia, and Billy Dean.

Evan Peters

American Horror Story: Apocalypse will have another returning member to the ensemble in the form of Evan Peters. He's shown up in the Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke and Cult seasons, portraying a whopping seven characters in that last season.

Joan Collins

This completely unexpected new addition to the AHS family was announced a few months ago, with Ryan Murphy letting everyone know that he was planning on "throwing in Joan Collins" when it came to the next installment of the franchise. We have no idea who or what she'll be playing, but I fully expect her to be dripping with jewels as she pushes someone into a pool at some point during the season.

Billie Lourd

Returning for her second major role in the franchise will be a fan favorite from Season 7: Billie Lourd. She'll be playing a character named Mallory in Apocalypse, and you can probably count on her character either being completely batshit or ending up in a batshit situation (or both).

Cody Fern

If you're looking at the young man above and don't recognize him, that's actually because this will be his first time in a season of AHS, though it won't be his character's first time in the franchise. Fern, who appeared in Ryan Murphy's The Assassination of Gianni Versace, will be playing Michael Langdon, the adult version of the antichrist baby birthed by Vivien in Season 1. With a season subtitled Apocalypse, doesn't it make total sense that the antichrist would play a major role?

Adina Porter

After a brief appearance in Murder House, Adina Porter has her first major role with AHS in Roanoke and followed it up with another strong showing in Cult. We now know that Porter's time on Apocalypse will be spent as Diana Stevens, but that's all the info we currently have on her character.

Cheyenne Jackson

Cheyenne Jackson has shown up in Hotel, Roanoke and Cult, and his characters have died every time. Will Apocalypse change his fate? Only time will tell.

Billy Eichner

Billy Eichner will, once again, be gracing AHS with his presence. He lent his talents to Cult last season, where he played two characters, but there's not word yet on the character(s) Eichner will portray this time around.

Leslie Grossman

After portraying two characters in Cult, which was her first time on AHS, Leslie Grossman is returning for Apocalypse. This time around she'll be playing a character named Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt, who sounds super annoying and like someone we'll all want to be murdered horribly within seconds of meeting her for the first time.

Emma Roberts

Emma Roberts will be returning to the American Horror Story fold as her Coven character, Madison Montgomery, when Apocalypse hits the small screen this year. Roberts also starred in the Freak Show and Cult seasons of the franchise.

Jessica Lange

After some speculation, we now know that Jessica Lange will be back on board to play her Murder House character, Constance Langdon in Apocalypse. Lange has also appeared in the Asylum, Coven and Freak Show seasons.

Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman

Another new addition to the AHS family this season will be Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, who will appear in a guest capacity. Bowyer-Chapman has shown up in Stargate Universe, Warehouse 13, Dirty Grandpa and UnREAL, among other projects.

Kyle Allen

Also new to Apocalypse? Actor Kyle Allen, who is best known for his work as Hawk Lane on Hulu's The Path.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse will debut on FX September 12 at 10 p.m. EST. Be sure to bookmark this list as we'll keep it updated as new information becomes available.

While Disney seems to be mostly focused on their massive franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, the studio is still making the sorts of light-hearted family movies that helped make their name. One of those films that the studio is currently planning is a film called Nicole, about the daughter of Santa Claus. We first heard about the film several months ago when Disney began to eye one of the hottest actresses in Hollywood for the lead. Now, it looks like the movie is putting together an impressive cast all around.

The title role of Nicole is going to Anna Kendrick who will play the daughter of Santa Claus, who takes over the family business after her brother apparently gets cold feet over taking on the position. Kendrick has previously worked with Disney once before when she played Cinderella in the film adaptation of the musical Into the Woods. Kendrick's comedy skills are well known which makes her a perfect fit for a film like this. While she tends to make more adult comedies, she's a generally well-regarded actress with broad appeal to audiences so we can imagine that this movie already has massive potential.

The role of the aforementioned son of Santa Claus, and brother to title character Nicole, will be played by Bill Hader. Hader also has previous Disney experience as the voice of Fear in Inside Out as well as voicing a character in the Steven Spielberg directed, The BFG and Finding Dory. His voice was most recently heard as that of Alpha 5 in the big screen Power Rangers movie. He'll next be seen at the title character in the upcoming HBO series Barry and he still pops into Saturday Night Live now and then via the Weekend Update limited series.

The newest addition to the Nicole cast appears to by Billy Eichner who The Wrap is reporting is currently in talks to join the production. There's no mention of what character Eichner would play, so at this point, that's being left to our imagination. This is the second Disney film that Billy Eichner has been attached to in recent months, as he will also voice the role of Timon in Jon Favreau's upcoming remake of The Lion King. He can currently be seen on American Horror Story: Cult, and Netflix's recent series Friends from College.

The cast of Nicole certainly seems to be shaping up into something solid. The movie is expected to go into production later this year with a release date of November 8, 2019 currently set.

American Horror Story: Cult's big premiere is just a little over a month away, so FX is giving fans a burst of promotional material to get everyone tensed up and excited for the unpredictable new season. An official trailer has yet to surface, but several different creeptastic teasers have come out, as well as a first look at returning cast member Emma Roberts. Now, we know what some of the newest American Horror Story cast members will look like, as well as their names, but none seem to notice all the clowns around. First up is Arrow vet Colton Haynes.

Colton Haynes, who worked with Ryan Murphy on Scream Queens, is looking pretty dapper as Detective Samuels. Though we don't know for sure what he'll be investigating, it seems pretty clear that it'll have something to do with the weirdo clown creepos that have been at the forefront of American Horror Story: Cult's marketing campaign. But if he's such a good detective, why can't he see that there's one of those clowns is in the background all menacing and shit?

Here we have another Scream Queens vet, Billie Lourd, daughter of actress Carrie Fisher. She will play the character Winter Anderson, so you just know that a bunch of Game of Thrones references are going to follow her around. ("Winter is coming!" sounds like a sex joke that Ryan Murphy would be down with.) Winter doesn't look too happy or comforted to be sitting in a bed that has a clown doll on it, but one assumes she would freak out a lot harder if she saw that non-doll clown beneath the bed.

An actor best known for his comedic performances on Difficult People and Billy on the Street, Billy Eichner is an interesting choice for American Horror Story: Cult, and he's looking quite serious as the old-timey-named Harrison Wilton. Somebody should tell him to hurry up and run inside, though, since he probably won't be too thrilled to turn around to see that ghostly-looking clown there.

Former Newsroom star Alison Pill is joining the world of American Horror Story as Ivy Mayfair Richards, which is easily one of my favorite names that this show has given its characters. She doesn't look like your average butcher, but she's certainly got the weapon and the setting correct. As well as all the bloody meat. And she'd better keep that knife in-hand if she wants to live longer than the poofy-haired threat beyond the vinyl curtain.

Finally, we have Cheyenne Jackson, who is the only actor in the first looks to not be new to the American Horror Story franchise. (He was in both Hotel and Roanoke.) For Cult, Jackson will take on the role of Dr. Rudy Vincent, and it looks like he'll be in the field of psychology or psychiatry, Whatever his professional role, we should all hope that his office is on the ground floor, since those clowns outside would have to be of the supernatural variety to appear through the window like that.

Expect more spooky peeks at American Horror Story: Cult's many other characters as the weeks go by, with the season making its grand debut on FX on Tuesday, September 5, at 10:00 p.m. ET. To see when you can watch everything else hitting the small screen soon, head to our summer premiere guide and our fall TV schedule.

Despite a slew of recent cancellations, Netflix has begun releasing even more original content. And the latest series from the streaming service is Friends From College, a dramedy with an all-star cast of actors, who portray a less than charming group of former collegiate confidantes. Picking up on the titular friends in their thirties, the series shows that age doesn't always come with wisdom, and how your "friends forever" sometimes need to be just the opposite.

The new series was created by British-American filmmaker Nicholas Stoller (Neighbors, The Muppets) and writer/actress Francesca Delbanco, who both serve as the main writers as well. Friends From College revolves around a group of friends in New York City. Falling on some hard times, married couple Ethan and Lisa Turner (Keegan-Michael Key and Cobie Smulders, respectively), crash on a friend's couch and attempt to reintegrate themselves into their group of friends from college. And while the group clearly loves and supports each other, they often revert back to their childish selves around each other, and end up screwing up whatever situation they're in.

And while the concept for the series may seem exclusively light and frothy, there are some high stakes involved that help move the show's narrative forward. Ethan has actually been having an affair with another member of the group, Sam (The Following's Annie Parisse), and now that the Turners are back in New York, their years long tryst is even more complicated. Additionally, Ethan and Lisa are also attempting to get pregnant and land new jobs, adding more pressures and very real stakes to the equation.

Perhaps the show's strongest suit is its fantastic ensemble cast, chock full of names and actors that you'll likely be familiar with. Keegan-Michael Key has continued his transition from Comedy Central comedian to a bonafide actor, brings an almost manic energy to his portrayal Ethan. And just a few years after the finale of How I Met Your Mother, it's a joy to see Cobie Smulders return to the small screen, and able to finally curse. Rounding out the cast is Fred Savage as Max, who has made his official acting comeback following the cancellation of Fox's The Grinder. Additionally, Difficult People and Billy on the Street actor Billy Eichner plays Savage's boyfriend Felix in the series, because his schedule just wasn't packed enough as it is.

While the actors all give strong performances, it's going to be easy for audiences to grow tired of Friends From College. Every episodes sees various characters starting off with the best intentions, before the inevitably mess things up for themselves. For instance, one episode sees Ethan and Lisa going through the process of IVF, only to nearly ruin it all on the night before surgery. What results in an episode where the couple runs around New York to get the medicine and supplies they need, all while screaming at each other mercilessly. And when they realize that the entire group has forgotten Fred Savage character Max's birthday, they don't seem to actually care or feel bad about it. And Fred is all to happy being a doormat for them in that moment.

In order to properly enjoy Friends From College, you're going to have to embrace the suck. These characters are going to continue to disappoint you and mess up, so expecting them to do anything else will just drive you bonkers. But if you can trust that the show, actors, writers, and the like are self-aware about how flawed the group of friends are, then you might be able to relax and enjoy the ride. The dialogue feels almost improvisational for how live and real it is, which makes for some really great moments by the cast. They're each able to sell their characters' flaws, and the overall chemistry with the main ensemble is pretty unbelievable.

But I suspect that most critics will take umbrage with how unlikable the friends from college are, a criticism that I'm sure some audiences will agree with. Much like the feedback for HBO's Girls, there are plenty of people out there who simply do not long to watch a group of selfish and flawed characters make mistake after mistake for 30 minutes at a time. The previously mentioned episode revolving around IVF certainly gave me a fair amount of anxiety, but as a diehard fan of shows like Girls, this isn't a situation that is new to me. And the performances and cast were so impressive that I was eager to start a new episode after each one ended. That isn't to say that the show is perfect, but that being cognizant of the characters' flaws will make it an overall much more enjoyable ride.

I'm eager to see how the overall reception for Friends From College is. While it previously seemed like Netflix shows were almost always renewed, the streaming service has been all to eager to give some of its shows the axe. And aside from its expensive cancellations like The Get Down and Sense8, it also ended up trimming the fat with quirky comedy Girlboss. But perhaps the star power associated with Friends From College will save it from this fate, allowing the showrunners to craft stories that are a bit more likable for Season 2.

The first season of Friends With College is currently streaming on Netflix.

This week has been an exhausting one for the world of television. With the upfronts fast approaching, networks have been dolling out cancellations like they're candy, as fans and employees of network TV wait to hear if their show will be renewed. But in the wake of the anxiety of it all, a few exciting announcements have been made. And one of them is regarding Elementary's Lucy Liu, and a new guest spot she'll be doing on another show.

It has just become public that film and TV star Lucy Liu will have a multi-episode arc on Season 3 of Hulu's Difficult People. The Billy Eichner-led comedy will welcome Liu as Veronica, a morally corrupt (duh) book editor who will share most of her scenes with Andrea Martin's Marilyn. THR reports that she'll be giving Marilyn a chance to write her own book, although I'm sure shenanigans will ensue that prevent Julie's mom from getting the attention she so desperately craves.

News of Lucy Liu's involvement in Difficult People is sure to be a red flag for the Elementary fandom. CBS has not yet announced if the series will return for Season 6, so Liu's casting in another project will be a catalyst for unease in the community. However, Lucy Liu hasn't been cast as a series regular, and will only be doing a few episodes on the Hulu comedy. So if Elementary ends up getting more life, Liu should be able to easily do both projects at the same time.

Difficult People is Lucy Liu's second comedy appearance in the last few years. She recently did a brief appearance on Season 5 of Girls, playing an actor in a procedural that Adam guest starred in. Liu has shown off some serious comedic timing in her career, and I'm excited to see her join the ridiculousness of Difficult People alongside Billy Eichner and Andrea Martin.

Difficult People stars Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner, playing fictionalized versions of themselves. The show revolves around the protagonists attempting to better themselves in New York, while also loathing everyone and everything around them... besides themselves. The series has had a ton of fantastic guest stars during its first two seasons, including Seth Meyers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Nathan Lane, and Ana Gasteyer.

We should be able to get a definitive answer about Elementary's future soon, as networks like CBS have been announcing renewals and cancellations every day or so. Who knows? If the series meets its end with Season 5, perhaps we can see more of Lucy Liu in Difficult People than we originally anticipated.

One of the notable challenges facing the new live-action adaptation of The Lion King is simply building a cast that can compete with the voices from the 1994 original. Hell, they already had to give up finding a replacement and have James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa. That being said, the production just found two absolutely perfect actors to play Timon and Pumbaa in the Jon Favreau movie, as it's being reported the roles will go to Bill Eichner and Seth Rogen, respectively.

The Wrap has the news that Eichner and Rogen are both now in final negotiations to join the cast of The Lion King, which has spent the last few weeks starting to establish an all-star ensemble. In taking the roles, the two actors are stepping in the footsteps of Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella, who are truly beloved particularly because of their rendition of the song "Hakuna Matata." Should they both sign on the dotted line, the two stars will be joining a cast that not only includes James Earl Jones, but also Donald Glover as the voice of Simba.

In the world of voice, Seth Rogen is hardly a novice, as Hollywood started casting him in animated projects really since his big breakout in The 40 Year Old Virgin. It started with a small part in Shrek The Third, but since then he has done characters in the Kung Fu Panda movies, Horton Hears A Who!, Monsters vs. Aliens, Sausage Party, and more. Funny enough, it will also be a reunion for Rogen and Jon Favreau, as the latter directed an episode of the former's television show, Undeclared, back in 2002.

As for Billy Eichner, his resume as a voice actor on the big screen isn't as long - but he does have a few notable titles on his resume in the performance medium. In addition to having a small part in 2014's animated spin-off Penguins of Madagascar and two characters in The Angry Birds Movie, he has a regular role as the librarian Mr. Ambrose in the series Bob's Burgers on Fox. Part of what makes him a nice addition to The Lion King is that he's actually worked with Seth Rogen in the past, as he has a supporting role in Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising.

In case you don't remember, Timon and Pumbaa enter the Lion King story after Simba's father is killed and he is run out of town by his uncle, Scar. It's out in the wilderness that Simba meets the meerkat and warthog, and they effectively raise him from a young cub into a full grown lion - all the while teaching him to live a life without worry. Because of the humor they bring to the story, Timon and Pumbaa are arguably the most beloved characters in the story, and audiences around the world will be anticipating Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner's rendition of Hakuna Matata:

As we learned earlier today, The Lion King is set to be released on July 19, 2019 - which means production will very likely start up before the end of the year (it's a project that is going to require a great deal of post-production work). We'll keep you posted with more updates about the film in the coming weeks and months, but for now, what do you think of the Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen casting choices? Hit the comments section below with your thoughts.

As the spring season turns nature bright and colorful again, leaving the blustery grays of winter in the past, it's the perfect time for American Horror Story updates to come around and darken things back up. Today marks the first time a new cast member has been announced for Season 7 of FX's horror anthology series, and Ryan Murphy is bringing in comedy actor and noted hollerer Billy Eichner for the still mysterious election-centered new tale. Let's go see what people on the street think about this excellent choice!

Billy Eichner, who is currently the frontman of both the unscripted randomness that is truTV's Billy on the Street and Hulu's biting satire Difficult People, has one of the more ridiculous early descriptions for any season's character. He'll play a near and dear friend to Sarah Paulson's character that wears a set of "mysterious tank tops." I am fairly certain that no other American Horror Story character has had tank tops enter into the conversation of biggest character traits. Definitely wasn't the case for John Carroll Lynch's Twisty. What makes them mysterious? Is it the material? The words on the clothes? Inquiring minds need to know!

Though he's not a series regular, Deadline reports Billy Eichner will be of the heavily recurring variety. It hasn't been confirmed, but he's said to be appearing in six or seven episodes of Season 7, which is locked in for eleven installments this year. I don't know if I can handle Eichner making it all the way through American Horror Story without being involved in one of the show's most gratuitously weird death scenes. One that's full of yelling and hollering and howling and all the synonymous noises.

Along with being the first New-To-AHS cast member, Billy Eichner is the third actor overall to be confirmed for Season 7, which will supposedly kick things off on Election Night and then spin a downward spiral immediately after. In direct opposition to last year's militantly-secretive American Horror Story: Roanoke, Ryan Murphy was quick to announce franchise faves Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters were the first to sign on for another year. And we're likely not far away from hearing at least a dozen more reports about returning cast members like Lily Rabe, Kathy Bates and Denis O'Hare, not to mention other series newbies. Last year introduced a trio of serious actors into the fold -- Cuba Gooding Jr., André Holland and Adina Porter -- so I'm certainly hoping Eichner's casting means more funny folks are coming. We need David Cross involved.

With Billy on the Street's web-based popularity getting Eichner's name out there, he found network stardom on NBC's Parks and Recreation and has gone on in roles for Hairspray Live!, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Angry Birds Movie and Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, to name a few. He'll soon be seen in another recurring role for Nicholas Stoller's Netflix comedy series Friends from College.

We cannot wait to see all the tank tops that Billy Eichner's new character has stored up, and we'll likely see it happening around September, when Season 7 hits FX. For more info about the upcoming narrative, head to our comprehensive Season 7 guide, and then check out our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV schedule to see what the small screen will conjure up in the coming months.

The 1988 film Hairspray became a cult classic almost instantly. The inspirational story centers on plump teen Tracy Turnblad, who, against all odds, wins a spot on a local dance TV show in 1962 Baltimore and launches a campaign to integrate the all-white program. Tracy meets a host of wild characters while dancing on the show and quickly becomes a local celebrity. The film inspired a Tony award-winning Broadway musical which ran for more than six years and, in turn, inspired a 2007 musical film adaptation.

That 2007 film starred, among others, John Travolta (in drag), Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken. Now, NBC is doing their part to keep the Hairspray legacy alive with this year’s musical production, Hairspray Live!, which will air on the network in December.

Seeing as how the year is rolling right along, we’re finally starting to get some casting news on Hairspray Live!. NBC is revealing the musically inclined actors who will appear in the live show, so let’s take a look at who’s signed on so far.

Maddie Baillio – Tracy Turnblad

The most important part of Hairspray is, of course, Tracy Turnblad, and NBC's live musical has found the character in newcomer Maddie Baillio. She'll be the one to usher Tracy into the world of local fame when she lands a spot dancing on The Corny Collins Show. Baillio, a sophomore at Marymount Manhattan College, was hired for the role after auditioning along with nearly 1,000 other women at an open casting call. While she has no professional theater experience, she has starred in productions with the York Theatre Company’s musical theater training program. Baillio has performed at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Jennifer Hudson – Motormouth Maybelle

Motormouth Maybelle is an important part of the story of Hairspray. She owns the local R&B record shop and hosts the monthly “Negro Day” on the local dance show that Tracy Turnblad becomes a dancer on. She helps Tracy and her friends on the show learn some new dance moves and becomes instrumental in Tracy’s desire to integrate the show. Maybelle is also the mother of Seaweed, a teen who begins an interracial romance with Tracy’s friend, Penny.

Jennifer Hudson is, of course, best known for her Oscar and Golden Globe winning role as Effie White in the 2006 film Dreamgirls, which was also based on a Broadway play. The actress and singer got her start on Season 3 of American Idol in 2004, and her eponymous debut album opened at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S. during the first six weeks of its release. Hudson has starred in several films since 2006, including The Secret Life of Bees, Winnie Mandela and The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete. She’s also appeared on musical television shows Smash and Empire. Hudson is currently completing her Broadway debut in a revival of The Color Purple.

Harvey Fierstein – Edna Turnblad

Edna Turnblad is the indomitable force that has inspired Tracy to be the positive, confident teenager that she’s become. Despite the fact that Edna is ashamed of her own weight and has agoraphobia, she has nothing but the strongest belief in her daughter and is even a bit overbearing when it comes to helping Tracy pursue her goals. Edna is behind Tracy in whatever she does, and helps her when Tracy decides to spearhead the integration of the dance show.

It would be hard to argue that Harvey Fierstein isn’t the right person for the part of Edna; he originated the role in the Broadway production and played the part there for two years. The multiple Tony award winner is also writing the teleplay for the TV musical. The gravelly voiced actor has made many TV and film appearances, including Miami Vice, Torch Song Trilogy, Cheers, Murder She Wrote, Mrs. Doubtfire, How I Met Your Mother, The Good Wife and Nurse Jackie.

Derek Hough – Corny Collins

If it weren't for Corny Collins there would be no Hairspray, since it's his teenage dance show that Tracy wins a spot on and becomes locally famous for appearing on. The handsome and generous host is very willing to give people chances when he feels they deserve them, and has no problem letting Maybelle and African-American dancers onto the show.

Derek Hough is certainly likable enough to play the part of a dance show host, especially since he's best known for his work on Dancing with the Stars from Season 5 through Season 21. The professional dancer and choreographer has helped six celebrities win the mirrorball trophy, and Hough's won two Emmys for his choreography on the program. He's appeared in several stage shows, including Footloose: The Musical in London in 2006 and the New York Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall in 2015. From 2014 until early this year, he made several guest appearances on the ABC musical drama Nashville.

Martin Short – Wilbur Turnblad

A woman like Edna needs a patient, understanding husband, and that's what Wilbur is for her. He's incredibly loving and supportive of both his wife and daughter. For the role of Wilbur, the production of Hairspray Live! has nabbed a comedy genius who's been in the game for a long time: singer, comedian, writer, actor and producer Martin Short. Short is largely remembered for his time on SCTV from 1982 through 1984, and his various appearances on Saturday Night Live from 1984 through last year, but he's made almost 100 TV and movie appearances. Short has been seen in Three Amigos!, Three Fugitives, Father of the Bride and its sequel, Arrested Development, Damages, Weeds, How I Met Your Mother and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

Kristin Chenoweth - Velma Von Tussle

Every story needs a good villain, and for Hairspray Live! Velma Von Tussle fills that role. Velma owns WYZT, the station that The Corny Collins Show is broadcast on. Because of that, she's the boss, and is the main one stopping the show from integrating the way Tracy would like. She's also incredibly angry that Tracy becomes a local star by dancing on the show, seeing as how she feels that stardom belongs to her daughter, Amber. The former pageant queen is vain, arrogant and snobbish, and relishes bullying Tracy for her weight.

Kristin Chenoweth was largely known for her Broadway work for many years. She won a Tony in 1999 for You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and received another nomination for originating the role of Glinda in Wicked. She's also won acclaim for her television work; she won an Emmy in 2009 for Pushing Daisies, and was nominated in 2010 and 2011 for her guest appearances on Glee. Chenoweth has also given her talents to film and TV shows like Frasier, Bewitched, The Pink Panther, The West Wing, The Good Wife and GCB.

Ariana Grande - Penny Pingleton

What's a semi-outcast soon-to-be heroine going to do without someone to confide in? Luckily for Tracy, she's got Penny Pingleton on her side, and will continue to have her best friend when Ariana Grande takes over the role in the live production. The awkward teen shares Tracy's deep interest in The Corny Collins Show, and they are each others' only friends until they meet Seaweed. Grande has had most of her experience, and success, as a singer. Her first two albums, Yours Truly (2013) and My Everything (2014) debuted at No. 1 in the U.S., with her latest album debuting in the second position this year. Grande has also worked as an actor since 2009, and has gone on to appear in iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat and Scream Queens.

Rosie O'Donnell - Gym Teacher

Rosie O'Donnell is not known for her work playing mean characters, but she'll certainly be branching out in Hairspray Live! as the gym teacher who torments Tracy Turnblad. O'Donnell first rose to stardom in the 1980s as a stand up comedian, and later went on to appear in a variety of movies and TV shows. She has had roles in Gimmie a Break!, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, The Flintstones, Nip/Tuck and The Fosters among her 52 credits.

Sean Hayes - Mr. Pinky

As the owner of Mr. Pinky's Hefty Hideaway, Mr. Pinky gives Tracy a shot at even more local fame when he hires her to be a spokesperson for his boutique. Sean Hayes, best known for his role as Jack on Will & Grace, has signed up to bring the character to life. Hayes has also appeared in Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss, Scrubs, 30 Rock, Portlandia, Parks and Recreation, Smash and The Millers.

Andrea Martin - Prudy Pingleton

Unfortunately for Penny, she has a super uptight, racist mother who is not on board with Tracy's progressive ideas on race relations at all. In fact, she considers Tracy to be a bad influence on her daughter for that very reason. SCTV and Broadway veteran Andrea Martin will be taking on the role of Penny's strict mom for Hairspray Live! The prolific actress has over 150 film and TV credits, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Ed, Rugrats, Nurse Jackie, Sesame Street, Modern Family and Difficult People. She's won two Emmy awards and has also been nominated for several awards for her theater work, winning Tony awards in 1993 and 2013.

Billy Eichner - Rob Barker

The second act of Hairspray Live! will feature a small appearance from Billy on the Street host Billy Eichner as TV newscaster Rob Barker. The WZZT reporter will go on camera to talk about Tracy's efforts to integrate The Corny Collins Show, and her evading law enforcement. Eichner has appeared in New Girl, Parks and Recreation, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, lent his voice to Bob's Burgers and currently stars on the Hulu show Difficult People.

Dove Cameron - Amber Von Tussle

Actress Dove Cameron will be taking on the role of Tracy's teen nemesis, Amber Von Tussle. As the daughter of Velma, Amber is a spoiled rich girl who feels she should always be the one to win. While she's not as racist or cruel as her mother, she still enjoys making fun of Tracy for her weight, and the two become fast enemies over who should get the spotlight on The Corny Collins Show. Cameron is mostly known for her dual role as twins on the Disney Channel sitcom Liv and Maddie, but she's also appeared on Shameless, The Mentalist and Austin & Ally.

Remember to check back here to learn about all the casting updates for Hairspray Live! as the year goes on.

With the plethora of marginal-to-shitty comedies currently deluging the TV-sphere, it’s hard to not get overly ecstatic whenever a new show premieres that makes keeping a straight face completely impossible. Such is the case with Hulu’s newest comedy, Difficult People, a delightfully acerbic take on entertainment’s outskirts and the toils of modern living from the always hilarious comedian Julie Klausner. Thankfully, the critics have raved and Hulu understands it has something top-notch here, and the streaming service is acknowledging that by ordering up Season 2 of Difficult People. I think I’ll tweet something nasty about a celebrity in celebration.

Even though it just debuted on July 15, Difficult People has won over a ton of people with its first five episodes, although it really isn’t clear just how many people are watching, as Hulu isn’t quick to release that information. But it must be enough to convince them that producing a 10-episode second season was a smart decision, an assertion that I definitely stand behind. For those taking score, that’s two more episodes than Season 1 got, which is an even bigger boost of confidence for Klausner, co-star Billy Eichner, and executive producer Amy Poehler.

True to form, Klausner’s reaction was perfect. Here it is, according to TVLine.

Poor Marisa Tomei, amirite? That’s just one example of the kind of celebrity-skewering that Klausner and Eichner deliver as Difficult People’s respective wannabe comedians, TV recapper Julie Kessler and café waiter Billy Epstein. The show co-stars James Urbaniak as Julie’s PBS employee boyfriend Arthur, with whom she shares as little physical contact as possible, and SCTV’s Andrea Martin, who plays Julie’s overly dismissive psychiatrist mother. Gabourey Sidibe and Derrick Baskin have recurring roles, and guest stars like Fred Armisen, Martin Short and Kathy Najimy also pop in. Check out a full trailer for the show below, in case you’ve been missing out.

Difficult People was originally set up at USA, which passed after the network execs decided they were cutting out their comedic slate. Which is fine, since this show would have never been as free to be itself on USA. (Although it might have avoided controversy over the Blue Ivy joke.) It fits in nicely with Hulu’s growing comedy programming lineup, which also includes Season 4 of The Mindy Project, the second Hotwives season Hotwives of Las Vegas and Deadbeat, among others. The service also ordered up a pilot for Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s comedy Future Man.

Expect Season 2 of Difficult People in the second half of 2016.

While President Barack Obama’s appearance on Between Two Ferns was arguably one of the coolest pop culture moments for a White House resident, I do believe First Lady Michelle Obama has topped it with the following grocery store visit for Billy on the Street with comedian Billy Eichner. It’s ridiculous, uncomfortable, and consistently gut-busting, and includes the Facts of Life exclamation “Yes! Big Bird loves Tutti!” and a slow dance between Obama and Big Bid while Billy Eichner anti-croons Aerosmith’s “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” Enjoy!

Billy Eichner is a master at creating unpredictable situations, and that talent is taken to extremes in this mostly indoor version of Billy on the Street, which is essentially the silliest, most high-volume PSA for vegetables that has ever been. The First Lady, who appeared on an episode of the Eichner-starring Parks and Recreation, teamed up with Sesame Street for a campaign to essentially make healthy foods look appealing by putting characters on the labels. Whatever works, right?

To be expected, there is one veggie reference for every ten oddball jokes and “game show moments,” and I know that this show might not be for everyone, but I laughed my ass off the entire time. It’s clearly one of those rare instances when the First Lady doesn’t quite know what she’s gotten herself into, but she’s game for anything. Even hide-and-stay-hidden-until-Billy-says-come-out. It’s downright delightful to watch how startled she gets for Eichner’s random outbursts. To his credit, he does start off pretty quietly before Eichner-ing it up as it goes along, eventually getting Obama to push him around in a shopping cart while he read-yells Gwyneth Paltrow’s Oscar speech.

Once recurring guest Elena comes in (and gets her mind blown by seeing who she’s competing against), things get truly hysterical. Eichner is so good at punching up moments with a quick line, and Elena’s blasé attitude about most things allows him frequent opportunities to do just that. His exasperated yell when she buzzes in before a question is asked should feel so rude, but Eichner pretty much has carte blanche on his reactions to people. Such as saying the First Lady is offensive to Mary Todd Lincoln for thinking President Obama is sexier than Abraham Lincoln.

It all ends with a more traditional on-the-street segment, where Eichner and Big Bird cause the usual amount of surprise and questioning looks. The best inquiry of the bunch, said to a woman who had no clue of anything beyond instant fear: “What if it’s an avocado that looks like Emily Blunt? Huh?”

You can soon catch Billy on the Street when it moves to Tru TV later this year.

Take a second away from watching Modern Family and Big Bang Theory trying to sweep this year’s Emmy Awards to watch comedian Billy Eichner (Parks and Recreation) and Emmy host Seth Meyers putting on a special edition of the always uproarious Billy on the Street. Have you ever wanted to see people get marginally excited about Meyers' presence while getting arbitrarily yelled at? It's Emmy sketch gold!

Above is an extended cut of the segment seen on tonight's Emmy Awards (via Funny or Die.) In it, we get to see more of Eichner's over-exaggerated comedic style, as he asks random people on the street to identify this year's awards host. Not a lot of people can get it right offhand, non-surprisingly, even when Meyers is put into the spotlight. The one guy who guesses "Seth MacFarlane" probably deserves his own Emmy.

Eichner tries out his "game show" For a Dollar, where he asks people about who their favorite late night hosts are, or to recognize what an Emmy award actually is. (The one woman guesses that it's a Goldblfffhm.) Honestly, these are funniest when no one has any idea what is happening, which happens often enough, particularly when Eichner just dashes up to people and hollers that Tatiana Maslany was snubbed. For the record, I am now mortal enemies with anyone who says they don't care that Maslany's stellar work in Orphan Black wasn't recognized. I'm not at all certain that the elderly man exclaiming a lack of care is even aware that BBC America is a network, much less the programming that airs on it. But still. Mortal. Enemy.

Other highlights include Eichner mis-identifying a straight woman as a lesbian, people not understanding the phrase "Dinklage vs. Patinkin," and the woman at the end of the video who hesitantly (but casually) walks backwards as she's being asked to name any nominee.

Want more Billy on the Street?

Head over to our Emmy coverage for all of tonight's winners, and look around for even more funny videos from tonight's ceremony.

Billy Eichner tends to take the scream approach to delivering his jokes and reactions, which you may have noticed if you’ve been watching Parks and Recreation this season, as the comedian has applied this schtick to his role as Donna’s Eagleton counterpart Craig in the NBC comedy series. But if you’re familiar with Eichner’s comedy, you know that this is nothing new for him. He’s been getting in people’s faces and reacting on his man-on-the-street comedy series Billy on the Street, which started out at Funny or Die and then moved to Fuse TV. On occasion, he’ll appear on a late night talk show and do a special version of his act. See his trip to the Super Bowl for Conan in 2012, for example, or watch the video above, which shows Eichner teaming up with his Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler to impart a bit of holiday cheer (or harassment, however you want to look at it) on the people of New York.

The clip from Jimmy Kimmel Live has Eichner and Poehler dressed as carolers and running around New York offering a dollar to people who can correctly sing the words to popular Christmas Carols. It’s a Christmas take on Eichner’s recurring “For a Dollar” segment, during which he usually asks people questions related to pop culture. In this case, it's really popular Christmas carols like “Deck the Halls,” and “Jingle Bells,” and yet a lot of people can’t seem to get through them. Of course, it’s not always easy trying to remember the words to a Christmas song when you have a comedian, a major celebrity and a camera in your face, so I can’t say I blame these people for failing to earn their dollar. Other highlights include Eichner’s reaction to a woman whose baby is named Arrow, and Poehler’s tough-guy reaction to a man who says he doesn’t know her. “You know me!”

Speaking of Billy Eichner, the comedian is lining up celebrities for the third season of Billy on the Street, which will debut on Fuse on March 12. According to THR, he’ll have Rachel Dratch, Lena Dunham, Neil Patrick Harris, Sean Hayes, Lindsay Lohan, Joel McHale, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Paul Rudd and Olivia Wilde on there. Quite a few NBC personalities among that group, which could be at least partially due to Eichner’s recurring guest spot on Parks and Recreation.

You can catch more funny Billy on the Street clips on his Youtube Channel. Here’s the one that has him asking the woman if she can name three white people…

New York!!!

The Daytime Entertaiment Emmy Awards are a pretty mixed bag in terms of content and genre. While the primetime Emmys focus on comedy, drama, reality and miniseries, The Daytime Emmys range from morning shows to game shows, children's programming and soaps. The nominations for the 40th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards were announced and CBS came out on top in total nominations, with 50. PBS trailed behind with 44 nominations, and ABC earned 38. For CBS, it was The Young and the Restless that helped it hit the top spot, earning almost half of the network's nominations, with 23. For ABC, it was General Hospital, which secured 19 nominations.

While soaps account for a lot of the nominations - Days of Our Lives earned 17 and The Bold and the Beautiful earned 15 - other types of programming also held their own among the top nominated shows. Sesame Street earned 17 nominations, including one for Kevin Clash, who voiced Elmo in the long running children's program, up until last year when he resigned due to allegations of sexual conduct with minors. Clash is also listed among the executive producers and directors nominated for other categories for Sesame Street.

Among the other top nominated children's shows are R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour (9 nominations), Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (7 nominations) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (7 nominations). The latter mentioned series was cancelled by Cartoon Network earlier this year, and fans will likely be pleased to see it among the list of nominated series this year.

The hilariously loud and opinionated Billy Eichner was among the hosts nominated for Outstanding Game Show Host. He's joined by Cash Cab's Ben Bailey, Let's Make A Deal's Wayne Brady, Family Feud's Steve Harvey and Jeopardy's Alex Trebek.

Let's Make A Deal's Monty Hall and The Price is Right creator Bob Stewart will be honored this year with lifetime achievement awards.

You can view the full list of nominees here. The awards will be presented on June 16 and broadcast live on HLN.

If you're ever in New York and some guy comes running up to you with a microphone and asks you some pop-culture related question in a way that makes you think the fate of the world depends on it, that might be Billy Eichner, the comedian often featured on Funny or Die and star of Fuse' Billy on the Street. If he gets annoyed with your response, there's an even better chance it's him. He has no patience for the wrong answers. The series, which focuses on Eichner's man on the street interviews, premieres its second season tonight. You can watch a preview that includes a glimpse of his guest star Rashida Jones and then watch the rest tonight when it airs on Fuse, or you can watch the full episode online right now!

Here's the preview (via EW), which has Eichner running around New York City with the Parks and Recreation star asking people if they prefer Rashida Jones or Rihanna.

And here's the full episode, which Fuse posted online early and shows the full Rashida Jones segment, which involves a lot of questions about Oprah.

New York!

I think "boring or dead" is my favorite segment. It's sort of exhausting watching him, but I find his quick reactions and temper hilarious. The same applied to the interviews he did for Conan at last year's Super Bowl. Watch that video here.

Billy on the Street with Billy Eichner Season 2 premieres tonight (December 7) at 10/9c on Fuse.

Billy Eichner’s no stranger to hitting the streets with a microphone for our entertainment. This weekend, he visited the Super Bowl to get people’s thoughts on the biggest attraction of the day: Madonna. His enthusiasm is what makes this video so funny. Also his annoyance at anyone not showing enough interest in the Material Girl or thinking “the game” is more important.

?The late night shows have had some great post-Super Bowl segments to offer us this week, so far. Earlier we shared Jimmy Kimmel’s hilarious YouTube Challenge, which had him asking viewers to turn off the television during a big moment of last Sunday’s game. And the video segment ahead aired during last night’s episode of Conan and has comedian Billy Eichner taking his Madonna obsession to the streets and hilariously discussing (or screaming) his love for the halftime show performer with anyone who wasn’t scared away by his camera and microphone. Check it out below.

You can see more of Eichner’s street interviews at Funny or Die, including this one, which has him challenging Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live) to name twenty white people in thirty seconds. The two of them together are really funny...

Billy On the Street: Can Rachel Dratch Name 20 White People? - watch more funny videos