It looks like Tenet is shaping up to be the movie to kickstart the ailing film industry that has been hit hard by the global coronavirus pandemic. This is because more and more theaters are reopening to screen the new Christopher Nolan film.
Deadline reports that Regal Cinemas in the states of Maryland and New Jersey have reopened in time for the movie’s premiere in the United States. Cinemas in a number of cities in California are also reopening, resulting in raised expectations for Tenet’s box office returns.
According to the publication, Regal Cinemas in San Diego will open at 5PM on Wednesday, as well as two other theaters in El Dorado and Sonora. Three theaters in Anchorage, Alaska will also reopen.
Meanwhile, Regal Cinemas in New Jersey and Maryland will open on Friday. As of the moment, Regal Cinemas already has 55 percent of its theaters reopened in the United States. This was after they were forced to close because of the global coronavirus pandemic.
More theaters open means more money coming in for Tenet, especially since these reopened theaters will be operating at less than full capacity in order to comply with suggestions by health officials to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Expectations are already high for Tenet after its strong performance in South Korea. With just previews, the Christoper Nolan film was able to earn around $717,000. Presales for Tenet in South Korea were also encouraging, with all IMAX screenings sold out.
Presales for Tenet in the United Kingdom have also been encouraging, with 60 percent of ticket sales in the United Kingdom made up of Tenet tickets. Theaters in Scotland, Wales, England, and Ireland are also ensuring that they pack in as many screenings of Tenet as they can, with the numbers ranging from 16 to 29 screenings.
Despite the good signs for Tenet, the movie will still face a number of challenges as it launches in the United States. As pointed out by Variety, theaters in New Jersey are scrambling to reopen for Tenet’s premiere this Friday, especially since the orders to reopen only came this Monday.
Just like South Korea, these theaters will also be operating at a much lesser audience capacity, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy mandating that they only welcome 25 percent of their audience capacity.
Whether Tenet will be able to screen in more theaters still remains to be seen as the COVID-19 situation in the United States continues unabated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Sept. 1 update, there are now 6,004,443 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are at 183,050 people.