The long road to the theatrical release “Tenet” continues.
The long road to the theatrical release “Tenet” continues as Warner Bros. is delaying Christopher Nolan’s epic espionage until August 12. The release change marks the second delay for the Nolan epic amid the coronavirus pandemic. Warner Bros. originally created “Tenet” for release on July 17, where it was about to become the first Hollywood retail pole to open in theaters. The studio pressed “Tenet” as of July 31 earlier this month to give theaters an additional two weeks to open and make operations run smoothly under new security protocols.
Why does the second release date for “Tenet” change? An increase in coronavirus cases has made reopening theaters in Los Angeles and New York nearly impossible. These cities are the two largest film markets in the country, making it impossible for Warner Bros. to make serious money on “Tenet” without the theaters in New York City and Los Angeles. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo confirmed that movie theaters will not even open as part of the state’s phase four reopening plan.
“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing ‘Tenet’ to the public in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it is time,” a Warner Bros. spokesman said in a statement. “Right now, what we need to be is flexible, and we are not treating this like a traditional movie release. We are choosing to open the movie in the middle of the week to allow the public to discover the movie on their own time, and we plan to play longer, during an extended game period beyond the norm, to develop a very different but successful release strategy. “
After Warner Bros. moved “Tenet” to July 31, the date began to appear in studio trailers and posters for the film. The marketing campaign even got July 31 to launch in expensive TV commercials. Delaying the film a second time means another marketing overhaul for the film, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson as spy agents trying to avoid World War III with the use of time investment.
Nolan is one of the biggest advocates of the theater experience, so he was always a Warner Bros. since he would continue to delay the film until it makes more sense to move forward with a theatrical release. While Warner Bros. went direct to VOD with the animated family offering “Scoob!” And Universal has skipped theaters with a handful of titles (“The King of Staten Island” and “You Should Have Gone” this month), Nolan will never go that route.
In a prerecorded video directed at CineEurope members this month, Nolan called “Tenet” the only film in his entire filmography that is “more designed for the audience experience, the experience of the big screen.” The director added that Washington “offers the most extraordinary and iconic performance” as the protagonist.
“Tenet” will now open on August 12.
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