Christopher Nolan’s Tenet is finally getting another release date, In what is hopefully the final move for the embattled blockbuster. Just as industry insiders predicted, the upcoming Nolan film will first debut internationally before opening in the United States.
Variety reports that Tenet will first appear in cinemas on Aug. 26 in the United Kingdom, Russia, Australia, Korea, Canada, Japan, France, Italy, and Germany. Tenet’s debut in the United States will be on Sept. 3, although Warner Bros. has not specified which states and cities in the United States will be getting the film.
According to the studio, they are taking this non-traditional approach in releasing Tenet because of the global coronavirus pandemic. While tentpole blockbusters like this one usually premiere in the United States and all over the world at the same time, the movie theater closures brought about by the pandemic has made this impossible.
This change in release date strategy was something industry insiders expected and actually believe will change box office releases in the future. Last week, industry insiders predicted that Tenet would be seen in international markets first in August, especially in China where movie theaters in low-risk areas are already open.
An analyst also predicted earlier this month that Tenet would once again move its release date in the United States because states like California, Florida, and Texas have seen a rise in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Movie theaters in large markets like New York City also remain closed.
This change in the release date for Tenet is already its third time. It was originally meant to debut on July 17 before being moved to July 31. It was then moved to Aug. 12 before the announcement of this Aug. 26 release date.
The Guardian notes that Tenet is not the only film that has had to move its release date to later this year because of the global coronavirus pandemic. An October release date has been set for Wonder Woman 1984, while Marvel’s Black Widow will premiere in November. Disney’s Mulan, which has until recently matched up with Tenet’s release date strategy, has no new release date as of the moment.
Even then, these release dates could still change due to the still ongoing global coronavirus pandemic. According to the July 27 situation report from the World Health Organization, there are now 16,114,449 confirmed COVID-19 cases around the world. Deaths caused by the virus now stand at 646,641 people.
In the United States, the latest update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pegs the confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States at 4,225,687. COVID-19 deaths are now at 146,546 people.