While the last potential blockbusters of summer debate whether to hold on to their release dates, a smaller-budget indie thriller starring Russell Crowe as a deranged motorist is cutting in line to become the first new movie back in theaters.
Maybe. The debut of Unhinged on July 1 depends on whether movie theaters are back in business or still shuttered due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The rewards are potentially enormous, which is why upstart Solstice Studios decided to move the thriller from its original date of Sept. 4 to the (formerly) prime real estate of the Fourth of July weekend. As the only new film in theaters, press attention would be guaranteed and moviegoers would have no other choices except for encore screenings of older films.
Even if audience capacity in each auditorium is cut in half or even reduced down to a quarter to allow “social distancing” while watching a film, Unhinged could lay claim to all the screens in a multiplex. With no competition, and audiences yearning to get back to the movies, it could be a bonanza. Or it could be a gargantuan marketing spend that slams straight into still-locked theater doors.
For movies like Tenet, Wonder Woman 1984, and Mulan—which are still on the calendar for late July and early August—the risk is so great that studios such as Warner Bros. and Disney are still weighing whether to proceed. They cost hundreds of millions to make, and need a significant (and dependable) return.
Directed by American Dreamer filmmaker Derrick Borte, Crowe plays an unnamed man who engages in a high-speed duel with a single-mom who provokes his rage after blasting her horn at him.
Unhinged has a budget of around $33 million, which makes it a more modest gamble. Its previous berth in September was getting crowded as flashier competition, like A Quiet Place 2, kept moving back and surrounding it.
“We made this decision after extensive consultation with the National Association of Theater Owners and leading theater chains,” Solstice Studios president and CEO Mark Gill said in a statement. “Those conversations have convinced us there is a way to meet pent up demand for the theatrical experience safely.” He said the company did a poll of moviegoers and found 80% wanted to be back in theaters by July.
But “wanting” is one thing. What’s safe and acceptable is another. While theater owners and other studios gauge when the right time for that return may be, the plan for Unhinged will either hit at exactly the right time … or live up to the movie’s title.