It may not have been as flashy as the $2.84 million opening day for the reissue of Chris Nolan’s Interstellar in China, but Russell Crowe’s Unhinged is holding its own in Europe. The film was intended and is still intended to be the first new wide release movie in American theaters as the chains reopen on August 21, and the road-rage thriller has been playing abroad for the last 11 days. It opened in Germany on July 16 and then in 19 additional territories last weekend.
It was the top movie of the weekend in 11 of those markets, including Australia, UK, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, Sweden, Ukraine, West Indies, Lithuania and Latvia. It earned $569,923 (in American dollars) over the first four days of release in Australia. It captured 39% of the market share. It out-grossed Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas’ The Secret: Dare to Dream (which was released on PVOD in America on Friday where it was the top pick over at FandangoNow) by more than three times.
At this moment, 27% of the country’s theaters are closed and the open venues are adhering to “lower capacity and fewer showtimes” social distancing guidelines. It placed second in Taiwan behind only Train to Busan: Peninsula which has been the closest thing to an honest-to-goodness summer hit (around $27 million and counting worldwide). Both films will open in American theaters on August 21.
Unhinged will release on August 6 in Russia and Austria as it slowly plays around the world in advance of its August 21 domestic debut. The $30 million thriller has thus far earned $2,935,172 worldwide, which obviously isn’t a kingly sum but seems to be doing its job of giving folks something new to see as theaters slowly reopen around the world.
It joins Peninsula ($27 million), Dolittle ($13 million in China), Bloodshot ($5.6 million in China), The Wretched ($2.9 million), Sonic the Hedgehog ($1.5 million in China), Relic ($1.082 million) and Rental ($1.129 million) as some of the only “new” movies to gross $1 million worldwide since theaters closed. We’ll see if the movie actually makes an impact beyond being an answer to a trivia question. The few overseas reviews are mixed-negative, but I’m still patiently waiting for my digital screener so I can indulge in what looks to be shameless grind house fun.
Why yes, I am giving certain folks a “Paddington stare” right now, thanks for asking.
I’ve studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an emphasis in box office analysis, for nearly 30 years. I have extensively written about all
I’ve studied the film industry, both academically and informally, and with an emphasis in box office analysis, for nearly 30 years. I have extensively written about all of said subjects for the last 11 years. My outlets for film criticism, box office commentary, and film-skewing scholarship have included The Huffington Post, Salon, and Film Threat. Follow me at @ScottMendelson and “like” The Ticket Booth on Facebook.