A 'Bloodshot' producer describes what it was like to release a movie amid coronavirus fears and theater closures

• Business Insider spoke to a producer of the new superhero movie "Bloodshot" about releasing the movie during the coronavirus pandemic.
• "Bloodshot" could be one of the last major theatrical releases for a while as studios delay release dates and theaters shut down across the US.
• The movie earned just over $9 million in the US in its opening but was hit hardest internationally. The producer said that it would have performed the best in China, where every theater remains closed.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Bloodshot," Sony's Vin Diesel-starring superhero movie based on the Valiant comic book, hit theaters over the weekend. It could be one of the last major theatrical releases for a while.

This week, major chains like AMC Theatres and Regal announced they were closing all US locations in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide. Theaters in the UK, Italy, and China are also closed.

"We were right in the epicenter," said a "Bloodshot" producer, whose identity is known to Business Insider but who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to talk publicly about the movie's release strategy. "It's a tough situation for everyone."

Leading up to the movie's release, other studios were delaying upcoming releases. The James Bond movie "No Time to Die" was the first to be pushed back, from April to November, and then the dominoes started to fall.

Paramount delayed "A Quiet Place Part II" a week before it was supposed to hit theaters and Disney postponed "Mulan." Neither have new release dates yet. Diesel's other upcoming release, "Fast and Furious 9," was pushed from May to next April, when "Fast and Furious 10" was supposed to arrive.

"Bloodshot" didn't delay its release date, a decision that wasn't up to the producer, who is not affiliated with Sony.

"It would have been good to push or gone earlier, that's obvious now," the producer said of the studio's decision to keep the movie's release date. "But if you push, then you're [competing] with everyone else. It was a roll of the dice. And you don't have an end date. You can't say 'we'll push it three months,' because you don't know what's happening in three months."

Sony did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

"Bloodshot" opened with $9.2 million in the US over the weekend, in which the overall box office suffered its worst total in more than 20 years. With a production budget of $45 million before marketing costs, the movie is likely to stall out as theaters either close or audiences stay away. On Wednesday, Sony announced that it would release the movie for digital purchase on March 24.

The greatest blow to "Bloodshot" was at the international box office. It finished first in various markets but earned just $24 million worldwide. The producer said the movie would have performed well overseas in a normal marketplace, particularly in China. Diesel's last starring role that wasn't a "Fast and Furious" movie was "XXX: The Return of Xander Cage," which earned $346 million worldwide and $164 million in China.

The producer was confident that "Bloodshot" would have ultimately grossed more than $300 million worldwide. But he's also hopeful that it will eventually find a wider audience.

While "Bloodshot's" box-office hopes have been upended, the producer was optimistic about Valiant's movie future. "Bloodshot" is the company's first foray into film and it has other projects set up at different studios. While that makes building a connected cinematic universe difficult, "Bloodshot" at least introduces audiences to the brand.

"The box office alone doesn't define its success," the producer said. "I feel this is a positive, strong proof-of-concept. Valiant's connected universe is still to come. Bloodshot is Valiant's Blade. He's the edgy, standalone character."

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