LOS ANGELES: After months-long cinema closures, the US box office has opened to the most significant degree since pre-pandemic times.
Movie theaters in Florida, Texas, Georgia and other parts of the country that were able to safely reopen welcomed the first major theatrical premiere since March: Solstice Studios’ “Unhinged,” a thriller starring Russell Crowe. The film played in 1,823 venues in North America, marking the widest release yet since the pandemic hit.
“Unhinged” pocketed more than $4 million over the weekend, a promising result given the challenging environment. In normal times, that figure wouldn’t be much to crow about.
However, only a fraction of the nation’s 6,000 movie theaters are currently in business– and major markets like New York, California and New Jersey are still closed without a set date to reopen.
Solstice’s head of distribution Shari Hardison says the company’s goal is to hit $30 million at the box office by the end of its theatrical run in North America.
“Unhinged” cost $33 million to produce, not including marketing or distribution fees.
