Tenet was originally set to be released on July 17th, a date it's been said filmmaker Christopher Nolan was keen to meet in order to help theaters bring moviegoers back to multiplexes after months of closures. Now, The Hollywood Reporter has shared some new details about what they claim has been happening behind the scenes at Warner Bros. these past few months.
According to the trade, it was in early June that studio executives held a video meeting with Nolan and laid out several different possible scenarios for Tenet's release. They listed the likely profits and losses which came with certain days, and presented a case for pushing the mysterious sci-fi movie to August 7th.
The hope was that COVID-19 would be a little more contained by then, but for Nolan, it wasn't about the money; instead, he expressed a "desire to be the first big studio film back in theaters, to show faith in the form and solidarity with exhibitors, when they're allowed to open and say they're ready."
Nolan ultimately agreed to a two-week delay, but the decision may have been taken out of his hands as COVID-19 cases and deaths continue to spike across the United States (hence why it's now been shifted further down the line to August 12th). "We are very proud of Tenet and can't wait for people to see it in theaters," says Warner Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich. "However, we only want people to go to theaters when state and local officials say they can be safely reopened."
As for what the future holds in store for Tenet, some analysts believe it might manage a $30 million opening weekend with social distancing guidelines still in place. Ultimately, it will need to earn around $400 million worldwide to break even, and that could be a struggle given current world events.
It's easy to see that Nolan is looking to help theaters to survive, a cause we know he's passionate about. Ultimately, it just depends what happens with the ongoing pandemic. Would you be willing to go and see Tenet in theaters within the next couple of months?
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