Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, a spy thriller starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson and Elizabeth Debicki, was expected to be one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. However, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, the film’s release was delayed in the US.
Now, Warner Bros. is reportedly looking for a late summer debut of the film abroad. The studio has informed theaters in the UK, France and Spain that the film may arrive in the last week of August. Tenet is also expected to premiere soon in Asia, though the dates may change if the coronavirus pandemic worsens in the next couple of weeks.
One exhibitor, who was contacted by the studio, told Variety that an international release depends on how Chinese theaters manage their reopening. The Train to Busan sequel Peninsula opened two weeks ago in South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, earning more than $20 million at the box office.
In Spain, where an uptick in coronavirus cases has been reported after the country reopened following a strict three-month lockdown, Sony Pictures Releasing chose to move up the release of Father There is Only One 2, a local film, from August 7 to July 29. Now, Warner Bros. is reportedly waiting to see how the pandemic evolves before deciding on a release date for Tenet.
Originally scheduled for release on July 17, Tenet was pushed back to July 31 and then August 12. Given the recent spikes of COVID-19 cases in Florida and Texas, the film debut was indefinitely delayed. Disney also decided to cancel Mulan’s scheduled August 21 premiere.
Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich confirmed that the release of Tenet would not be global, though some are concerned that by showing the film in different markets at different times, the spy thriller’s surprises might be compromised.
Meanwhile, foreign markets have been clamoring for the release of Tenet and Mulan since exhibitors are experiencing record losses as a result of the coronavirus lockdown. Jocelyn Bouyssy, managing director of CGR Cinemas, France’s second-biggest theater chain, said the further delay of Tenet and Mulan would be a catastrophe since cinemas are already struggling to hold on.
Source: Variety
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