Warner Bros. has removed “Tenet” from its release schedule, taking a major hit on the exhibition industry at a time when movie theaters were hoping to reopen for the late-summer debut of the sci-fi thriller Christopher Nolan.
Although necessary given the massive uncertainty about when theaters around the world can safely reopen, the decision further complicates Hollywood’s already erratic plan to revive filmmaking. Originally, “Tenet” was slated to debut on July 17, but was delayed twice until August 12. It is unclear when it will welcome the public, but the studio plans to share a new release date “imminently.”
“We will share a new 2020 release date for Tenet, the totally original and mind-boggling feature of Christopher Nolan,” Warner Bros. President Toby Emmerich said in a statement. “We are not treating Tenet as a traditional worldwide day and date launch, and our upcoming marketing and distribution plans will reflect that.”
The studio also announced that “The Conjuring 3” was postponed to June 4, 2021. The eighth entry in Warner Bros. The horror franchise was slated to debut in theaters on September 11. However, “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It” was supposed to have additional sessions scheduled for April. Since worldwide production could not be resumed, it would not be ready in time for its target release date.
“Our goals throughout this process have been to ensure the highest odds of success for our films, while also being ready to support our theater partners with new content as soon as they can safely reopen,” said Emmerich . “We are grateful for the support we have received from exhibitors and remain steadfast in our commitment to the theater experience worldwide. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to proliferate, causing us to reevaluate our release dates. “
Warner Bros. sources emphasize that they will have to be flexible with their plans to release “Tenet,” which means it will not have a traditional theatrical deployment. Movie theaters abroad have already begun to reopen, so there is a chance it will open internationally before a national release. It would be good news for exhibitors from Europe and Asia, two robust markets that haven’t had a new Hollywood movie to attract audiences in months. In their reopening plans, movie theater owners recently expressed concern about Variety that the global box office has been “forgotten” by US studies. Previous “Nolan” movies have earned more than 50% of the box office revenue from overseas theaters.
While most studios have postponed their main films in late 2020 or 2021 and beyond, Nolan has high hopes that “Tenet” can bring audiences to theaters, which have been closed since March to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. For that reason, Warner Bros. previously had decided to gradually roll back “Tenet” weeks at a time, rather than postpone it to a significant degree until theaters across the country can safely reopen. Now, Warner Bros. experts say they could go further in select US cities where public health and government officials find it safe.
It is still unclear when movie theaters, especially in major markets such as New York and Los Angeles, will be able to resume full-scale operations. When they reopen, it is unknown how anxious people will be to return to the movies. Warner Bros. invested $ 200 million to produce “Tenet,” not including the high marketing fees, which means it’s not a small gamble to reveal the film to the masses.
Other anticipated titles from the study, including “Wonder Woman 1984” (October 2), the remake of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” (December 18), are still slated for 2020. However, they could move if coronavirus infections continue to rise. . In recent months, the studio also began opening weekends for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical “In the Heights” (June 18, 2021) and “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson (June 25, 2021) .
“Tenet” stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. Nolan, whose credits also include the trilogy “The Dark Knight” and “Interstellar,” wrote and directed the film, about a secret agent tasked with preventing another world war. The cast includes Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Kenneth Branagh.
