Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it's been clear that things are going to have to change when it comes to the way movies are released. With cases of the virus on the rise in the United States, exhibitors overseas are growing frustrated with being unable to share new movies with customers who are anxious to return to theaters in areas where COVID-19 is under control.
However, it's now clear that things aren't likely to change in the US for the foreseeable future, and The Hollywood Reporter explains that Tenet's staggered release could become the new norm.
The hope now is that Christopher Nolan's $200 million blockbuster will debut in some North American cities in the first half of September, but the situation remains fluid for the time being.
"Our normal for the foreseeable future is some markets open and some closed, which will keep changing over time. We can’t expect this to change for months, so we have to get going," Patrick Corcoran, vice president and chief communications officer at the National Association of Theatre Owners, tells the trade.
Executives reportedly believe that staggered rollouts like these could reduce marketing costs in future, as buzz will build slowly and word will spread across the globe. "While we in the U.S. think we are the center of the world, we are not. We can’t wait for everything to be perfect," one of them tells the trade, while another adds: "There is a real opportunity here to think outside the box and not be constrained by legacy."
This could mean that Black Widow is released in certain countries weeks or even months before the US, with some cities there getting it before others. What this means for physical/streaming release dates is hard to say, but for now, studios are clearly intent on earning money from the box office rather than relying on other means, as that is, of course, their main source of income.
The landscape is definitely changing, and the next few months should be very interesting...