While Tenet is performing better at the box office than initially anticipated, the movie has been plagued by negative coverage online for months now. Much of that stems from Christopher Nolan's alleged insistence that it receive a theatrical release in the midst of a pandemic, and while there are safety measures in place, some experts maintain that it's simply not safe to sit in a crowded cinema.
Regardless, Tenet was dealt another blow earlier this year when The Dark Knight Rises star Anne Hathaway said Nolan, "doesn’t allow chairs, and his reasoning is, if you have chairs, people will sit, and if they’re sitting, they’re not working." This created something of an uproar, and the filmmaker's spokesperson was quick to issue a denial.
Well, in an officially released Tenet book, it's confirmed by star John David Washington that Nolan does indeed ban chairs from his sets. "Nolan's no-frills set was deliberately devoid of chairs," it reads. "Watching the relentless energy of the crew, Washington was determined to lead the front."
"'I'm like, 'I can't be tired. I can't sit down if these guys aren't' But then, after the sixth day, I broke down. I sat down - just on whatever is around - 'cause my body couldn't take it.'"
It sure doesn't sound like the cast and crew are free to sit on chairs because, well, there are none. The book, The Secrets of Tenet, is on sale now, and you can check out the excerpt below: