Two weeks ago, Warner Bros opted to push Christopher Nolan’s upcoming, mind-bending sci-fi thriller, Tenet back from July 17th to July 31st (16th and 30th for Malaysian audiences). Now, the studio has pushed the film back another two weeks to August 11th.
In a statement, Warner Bros spokesperson said (per Collider):
“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing ‘Tenet’ to audiences in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it’s time. In this moment what we need to be is flexible, and we are not treating this as a traditional movie release. We are choosing to open the movie mid-week to allow audiences to discover the film in their own time, and we plan to play longer, over an extended play period far beyond the norm, to develop a very different yet successful release strategy.”
This is starting to get ridiculous. The United States is in complete disarray because of COVID-19, and with Trump at the helm of the Oval Office, the situation doesn’t look like it’s going to improve anytime soon. Most studios have smartly postponed almost all their major releases to the end of the year, some have even postponed it to next year (i.e. Fast & Furious 9, Morbius). So, why then is Warner Bros hellbent on releasing TENET ASAP? Well, it probably has to do with Christopher Nolan’s egoistic dream to be the one who brings audiences back to theatres again.
In fact, a New York Times article from a couple of weeks ago which reported on Tenet’s previous postponement from July 17th to 31st, details exactly that:
“In recent weeks, Warner, concerned about its Tenet investment, was leaning in favor of postponement, while Mr. Nolan, a fervent advocate for preserving the moviegoing experience, was more eager to press ahead. The discussions amounted to a fraught moment for Warner: Mr. Nolan is a proven moneymaker, and the studio wants to keep him happy.”
