In the wake of California giving the green light for movie theaters to open as early as this Friday, exhibition will be thrilled to hear that more product will become available on the marquee. Tri-Star Pictures is scheduling the Selena Gomez executive produced romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery on July 10, ahead of Warner Bros.’ Christopher Nolan feature Tenet which remains dated for July 17. Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions’ Stage 6 Films acquired WW rights to The Broken Hearts Gallery in a competitive situation.
The movie, directed and written by Natalie Krinsky, stars Bad Education and Blockers actress Geraldine Viswanathan and Stranger Things’ Dacre Montgomery and follows the former as Lucy, an art gallery assistant living in New York City, who also happens to be an emotional hoarder. After Lucy gets dumped by her latest boyfriend, she becomes inspired to create The Broken Heart Gallery, a pop-up space for the items love has left behind. Word of the gallery spreads, encouraging a movement and a fresh start for all the romantics, including Lucy herself.
Rather than shoe-horn this feature onto PVOD, I understand Sony wanted to show theater owners its commitment to counter-programming.
“Hearing from more female writers and directors is very much needed. Natalie is a wonderful talent and I am happy to be a part of her debut film. I understand people’s concerns regarding returning to activities we all loved prior to COVID-19. I hope everyone will listen to scientists’ recommendations and consider others’ health and safety while enjoying the movie theater experience,” said Gomez in a statement.
“Now more than ever, The Broken Hearts Gallery will resonate with audiences ready for a feel-good moviegoing experience this summer,” said Josh Greenstein, Motion Picture Group President. “We have faith in a theatrical rebound, and we look forward to being there right out of the gate with our exhibition partners’ anticipated reemergence, as — and when — state-by-state safety guidelines are met.”
“I am beyond thrilled Sony has defined our relationship by bringing The Broken Hearts Gallery into the world,” said Krinsky. “Getting a film made — especially your first — is like finding a soulmate: years of heartbreak and (maybe) ultimate triumph. In this moment of distance it feels good to fall in love. I can’t wait for audiences to (safely) see it in theatres.”
Utkarsh Ambudkar, Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Suki Waterhouse, Arturo Castro, Ego Nwodim, Taylor Hill and Bernadette Peters also star in the movie.
The Broken Hearts Gallery was produced and financed by No Trace Camping’s David Gross and executive produced by Gomez, Mandy Teefey, Jesse Shapira, Jeff Arkuss, Josh Clay Phillips, Mason Novick and Michelle Knudsen. The feature was produced with the participation of Telefilm Canada and Ontario Creates. Endeavor Content and Jamie Feldman of LGNAFC negotiated the deal on behalf of the filmmakers. Elevation Pictures will handle the pic’s Canadian distribution.
There’s been continual buzz back and forth as to whether Tenet will stick to its July 17 release date or not. We’ll know soon in the next week or two whether it needs to move by two weeks, and much of that has to do with the rest of the world’s 30K screens being open. I’ve heard that there is a distribution plan for Tenet that if New York hasn’t reopened, but most of the world has, the John David Washington time thriller stills opens. I also hear Warner Bros. had a marketing plan in place for Tenet, fired up and ready to go.
The California Department of Public Health’s OK for cinemas to reopen under strict guidelines came as a long-awaited positive sign for movie theaters, and for Tenet‘s commitment to July 17 as well. Sony’s programming of The Broken Hearts Gallery just increases confidence for circuits. Solstice Studios’ Russell Crowe road rage movie Unhinged will get the ball rolling for movie theaters on Wednesday, July 1.
Sony has the following features currently scheduled for 2020: Monster Hunter over Labor Day weekend Sept. 4, the Lord and Miller Sony Animation feature Connected on Oct. 23, and Tri-Star’s The Happiest Season on Nov. 25. Sony, in a shortened year at the box office, currently has the highest grossing both stateside and worldwide, Bad Boys for Life with $207.5M and $422M respectively.