Russell Crowe's 'Unhinged' betting big to be first theatrical release since COVID-19 theater closures

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The studio behind Russell Crowe’s new movie "Unhinged" is taking a big gamble by making it the first major release to hit theaters since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. 

As the world continues to face uncertainty about what reopening the country will look like, movie theaters have been eyeing July as an early estimate for a return to some normalcy. Veteran film producer Mark Gill hopes that he can position "Unhinged," the first movie to come out through his new Solstice Studios, to be the movie that prompts eager customers return to the theater.

"There’s a risk attached to it, obviously," Gill, 57, told Yahoo Entertainment of the film's July 1 release date. "We launched our company about 18 months ago to make movies for movie theaters. I think you need to stand up for theaters at any time, really, but especially at this time."

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The thriller stars Crowe as a driver whose road rage gets the best of him after a woman honks too harshly for his liking during their commute. While it’s poised to be the only option for theatergoers who want to go back as early as July 1, it has a relatively modest budget of $33 million compared to other major blockbusters that people flocked to the theater for in the pre-COVID-19 days.

The outlet notes that, while it’s a gamble to release the first film from a new studio at a time when many may still be wary of gathering at a public theater, it is only two weeks ahead of Christopher Nolan’s "Tenet," which will be followed soon after by Disney’s live-action "Mulan" remake on July 24. 

However, Gill says that he’s eager to test the waters to see if the public gets the box office engine running again after months of uncertainty and conversations about the movie industry going exclusively to video on demand.

"I think there’s a lot to be said for pent-up demand to get out of the house," Gill said. "I think that’s very, very real."

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Russell Crowe's new thriller is poised to be the first theatrical release since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images for AFI)

He notes that the decision is not a rash money grab. Not only did the studio commission a survey to determine people’s willingness to go to a theater, but he consulted with the National Association of Theatre Owners as well as the nation's largest exhibitors, AMC, Regal and Cinemark.

Although Solstice Studios’ risk assessment tells it that the movie’s release date of July 1 is viable, there’s no denying that it won’t be business as usual. Most theaters across the country have not reopened yet. Those that have are doing so with new guidelines toward social distancing. Yahoo Entertainment reports that most theaters are expected to reopen at 25 to 50 percent capacity to comply with social distancing guidelines. Most experts agree that the theater experience will only return to normal if a vaccine is created. 

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However, the lower theater capacity may be balanced out by the fact that there won’t be the normal plethora of options for those who want to spend their day at the movies.