Movie theaters slowly coming back to life, but many still closed
Moviegoing audiences in North America aren’t rushing back to the theater just yet in the coronavirus era.
In the second major weekend for U.S. and Canadian movie theaters, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” earned only $6.7 million from 2,910 locations, according to studio estimates Sunday. Warner Bros’ sci-fi thriller was viewed as the litmus test for whether audiences were ready to embrace moviegoing after months of shuttered theaters.
Although it was enough to top the scattershot domestic releases, it wasn’t enough to jumpstart the struggling industry. Warner Bros. has further pushed back its next major release, “Wonder Woman 1984.”
The weekend’s only major new opener was Sony’s PG-13 rom-com “The Broken Hearts Gallery,” which earned an estimated $1.1 million from 2,204 North American locations.
The movie, from firsttime writer-director Natalie Krinsky and executive produced by Selena Gomez, is about a 20-something gallerist played by Geraldine Viswanathan who creates an art exhibit with souvenirs from past relationships.
The studio is optimistic about its performance and potential.
“The early numbers are really encouraging,” said Adrian Smith, president of Sony Pictures domestic distribution.
Smith noted that the movie will have a slow rollout as more theaters open in the U.S.
Roughly two-thirds of the domestic market is open, and theaters are operating at limited capacity and with limited showtimes. Two of the country’s biggest markets, New York and Los Angeles, remain closed. Other still-closed markets include North Carolina, Michigan, New Mexico and the cities of Seattle and Portland.
Other notable domestic weekend numbers include Disney’s “The New Mutants,” which added $2.1 million from 2,704 locations in its third weekend, and Solstice’s Russell Crowe pic “Unhinged,” which earned an additional $1.5 million in week four.
“Every week is a bit of a litmus test about how potential moviegoers are feeling about going to the theater,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore’s senior media analyst. “I think audiences are slowly going back.”