‘Unhinged’ has $4 million debut as theaters start to reopen

LOS ANGELES » After months of dormancy for the major movie theater circuits because of the coronavirus, Hollywood has been awash in speculation over how quickly people will return to the cinema. They got their first clue this weekend through an unlikely test case: a mid-budget hyper-violent road rage thriller starring Russell Crowe.

“Unhinged,” starring the Oscar winner as a maniacal motorist, debuted in roughly 1,800 theaters and grossed about $4 million in the U.S. and Canada from Friday through Sunday, according to studio estimates. The launch marks the first major wide release in American theaters since March, when virtually the entire industry was brought to an abrupt standstill amid the escalating public health crisis. The question now is, of course, what do the numbers mean?

“Unhinged,” a $33 million R-rated thriller with tepid reviews, was never going to be a blockbuster, and it had virtually no competition. In some of the biggest states for moviegoing, including California, New York and New Jersey, indoor theaters remain closed. Solstice Studios said the weekend numbers marked a strong result and that the film would probably reach the $8 million mark by Thursday.

Former ‘Glee’ star Lea Michele gives birth to baby boy

LOS ANGELES » Lea Michele is a mom of a baby boy.

A representative for Michele said Sunday that the former “Glee” star gave birth to her son on Aug. 20.

She and her husband, Zandy Reich, welcomed their first child together. Michele announced her pregnancy on Instagram in May. The actresssinger shared a photo of her baby bump with the caption “So grateful.”