Why ‘Unhinged’ Box Office Opening Breathes New Hope for Movie Theater Recovery

Why ‘Unhinged’ Box Office Opening Breathes New Hope for Movie Theater Recovery

Yahoo - Malaysia·2020-08-25 21:00

For months, distribution execs and movie theater owners have had no idea what the box office will look like in the pandemic era. This past weekend, the numbers finally gave them a reason for optimism. Solstice Studios’ “Unhinged,” the first wide release in North America since the start of the pandemic, made a respectable $4 million from its opening on 1,823 screens, as theaters in a majority of U.S. states got back in business. Meanwhile, the opening weekend of Huayi Brothers’ “The Eight Hundred” was an unqualified success, earning $116 million in China and giving the country its first box office hit of the year after the pandemic crippled the cinema industry for seven months. “There really was a lot to smile about,” said one major studio exec who spoke to TheWrap on condition of anonymity. “‘The Eight Hundred’ showed what we’ve believed all along: that if theaters stay safe and the titles are there, moviegoers will come back. ‘Unhinged’ is a good first sign that this could be true in the U.S., as well.” “Unhinged” does not have the same box office expectations as films that are still planning a theatrical release, including “Tenet” in two weeks, but its...

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