Because of the huge impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on the film and entertainment industry, Hollywood studios have been forced to rethink the strategies they’ve been using when it comes to marketing and launching blockbusters. New strategies need to be implemented and it looks like Christopher Nolan’s Tenet might be the one to spearhead the change.

The Hollywood Reporter say that after being delayed once more, the Christopher Nolan thriller will probably be the latest blockbuster to employ a staggered release date rather than the traditional global day-and-date launch for Hollywood blockbusters.

Quoting a studio insider, The Hollywood Reporter says Tenet will probably premiere in Asian and European countries first, especially in China where movie theaters have already begun to reopen in low-risk areas.

An analyst had earlier predicted that Tenet would once again move its premiere date because of rising coronavirus cases in the states of Texas, Florida, and California, as well as the continued closure of movie theaters in New York, a large market for movies in the United States.

With the planned staggered release dates, sources say that Tenet will first premiere in late August for international markets, followed by an early September release in select American cities. 

Forbes notes that while this staggered release for Tenet is a break from tradition for a huge tentpole film, there have been other movies that were first released internationally and went on to succeed financially in the United States.

For instance, the movies Zootopia, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and Aquaman all premiered internationally before opening in the United States. All three movies then went on to earn $1 billion in the box office.

The publication expects other huge releases like Disney’s Mulan to follow suit should Tenet prove to be a financial success despite the staggered release brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. If the pandemic rages on for the rest of the year, other releases like No Time To Die, Top Gun: Maverick, Soul, F9, Raya and the Last Dragon, Black Widow, Morbius, The Eternals, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Wonder Woman 1984, and In the Heights might also follow suit.

From the way it looks, these staggered releases may become the new normal as it does not look like the global coronavirus pandemic will subside any time soon. According to the July 22 situation report by the World Health Organization, there are now 14.765,256 confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide. COVID-19 fatalities are now at 612,054 people.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions July 22 update pegs the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases at 3,882,167 people. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are now at 141,677.