Inside the Set Design of “Bros,” the First Gay Rom Com From a Major Film Studio
“Bros” doesn’t hit theaters until Friday, September 30, but it’s already made history, as the very first gay romantic comedy created by a major film studio.
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The film stars Billy Eichner as Bobby Lieber, a museum curator living in New York City who is tasked with writing a rom com about a gay couple. (Fun fact: Eichner co-wrote the script of the film.)
Throughout “Bros,” viewers can expect to see Bobby’s cozy, earth toned apartment that boasts a mixture of leather, velvet, and wooden details. Apartment Therapy spoke to the film’s production designer, Lisa Myers, to learn how the dwelling came to life.
The most important first step in Myers’ process was to make sure “that each room flowed into one another, [in order] to provide depth and interest.” To do this, she looked to a range of sources, including 1stDibs, West Elm, Design Within Reach, Article, Rejuvenation, Gus* Modern, and some vintage stores as well.
Ultimately, Myers says she “wanted Bobby’s home to tell the story of his interests and history. I take a lot of joy in the small details. Even if they don’t make it on screen, I think it’s helpful for the actors and crew to really understand the space we’re shooting.”
As such, Myers worked alongside Billy Eichner to bring this vision to life, as “it was important to both of us to represent these characters authentically and thoughtfully throughout the entire film.” And Eichner’s influence didn’t end there — he was “very involved in all elements of the production design for the film,” reveals Myers.
The apartment itself features a bedroom, dining room and living room. And while it was a manmade set and not a real apartment, it is meant to be located on the Upper West Side, near Lincoln Center.
Because Bobby is well versed in queer history, media, and literature, Myers and Eichner worked together to compile a list of books, artwork, and movies to include in the character’s apartment. Examples consist of a framed copy of “The Glass Menagerie,” a print of an Alison Bechdel comic, a framed album cover of the soundtrack from “A Chorus Line,” as well as works by Anthony Goicolea and Jacob Fossum, images of Merce Cunningham, DVDs of “Go Fish,” “Trick,” and “Paris Is Burning,” plus books by Ocean Vuong, Eileen Myles, Alok Vaid-Menon, and James Baldwin.