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Tenet Release Date Delay Is Getting More Likely
A Tenet release date is getting more likely now, as San Francisco is eyeing to reopen their movie theaters in mid-August. Throughout the whole coronavirus pandemic, Christopher Nolan's Tenet has been the most notable outlier in the film industry. Whereas just about every other title originally scheduled to come out between mid-March and early July have altered their plans, Tenet has stayed put in its July 17 date. The hope has been it can be the first major blockbuster to welcome audiences back to the multiplex months after theaters worldwide were closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Of course, whether or not Tenet can make that July window is dependent on multiple factors. Namely, enough movie theaters have to be open by that point in order to justify releasing a $200 million tentpole on the big screen. Word is WB would need about 80% of the world's theaters to be up and running to move forward with Tenet's release, including those in key markets. And based on how things are currently playing out, they may have no choice but to push the movie back.
In THR's latest coverage on the Tenet release date saga, it's noted that movie theaters are part of San Francisco's "phase 3" in the city's reopening plans. That means they wouldn't reopen until mid-August. Eric World, B. Riley FBR analyst, noted that New York and Los Angeles could follow suit:
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"Although we acknowledge that each of the three major cities (and both states) are working on their own individual timelines, we believe the later-than-anticipated opening timeline for San Francisco probably does not bode well for the other two. While we do not believe San Francisco on its own would be enough to influence the studios' decisions, we would expect that all three cities would have a major influence. At this point, movie theaters are included in stage 3 in Los Angeles with an unknown timeline, but with Governor Gavin Newsom stating in late April that movie theaters were 'months, not weeks' away. And in New York, movie theaters are included in phase 4 along with Broadway theaters — with some media reports indicating they may not reopen until January."
The latest Tenet trailer tellingly did not include a release date, featuring only a title card reading "Coming to Theaters." That was a sign Warner Bros. is at least weighing the possibility of delaying Tenet. As great as it would be if people could get back to the theater in July, there's no guarantee that will be possible. The current health crisis remains a fluid situation, especially as some states begin to reopen businesses (which could cause a second spike in cases in some areas). WB smartly wants to monitor the situation closely before definitively committing to something. However, they will have to make a final decision soon. July is right around the corner, and WB will need to put together a visible marketing campaign for their original tentpole.
If major market theaters don't open in July, Tenet won't be the only upcoming movie affected. Disney's Mulan is set to come out in July 24, prior to the mid-August window San Francisco is talking about. Wonder Woman 1984, scheduled for August 14, may also have to move again depending on when specifically in August theaters open. In fact, one Hollywood insider believes if Tenet gets pushed back, there won't be any new movies released in theaters until Christmas, so this could have a massive domino effect on the entire industry. Tenet will come out in theaters at some point, it's just a question of when.
Tenet (2020)
Release Date: Jul 17, 2020
