Will Tenet open to closed theaters?

Christopher Nolan is quite the persistent filmmaker. He’s been fighting to keep physical film in the production process, is a huge advocate for the theater experience, and is keeping Tenet’s July 17 release date. Yes, this is in spite of COVID-19, Nolan stuck to his guns. To the credit of the studio, they stuck by him as well. While virtually every other film under the sun has been shifted, Tenet has remained steady. This is quite the monumental risk for Warner Bros.

It would be one thing to release a $40 million film, but Tenet is no $40 million film. It’s a $200 million original story. It’s virtually unheard of in Hollywood these days to see an original idea get that kind of budget. It’s even more unheard of for a studio to stick to their guns with such a risky release date. But just how risky is it? With the future of the pandemic still uncertain, how much do they have to worry about?

NATO — the National Association of Theatre Owners — expects that 90% of theaters worldwide will be open by the time Tenet hits. Of course, we don’t know where these theaters are located. For all we know, the 10% of closed theaters could be in all the major cities. if that’s the case, it could be a huge risk for Warner Bros. I don’t know where NATO is getting their figures, but 90% in just over a month seems super optimistic. That’s especially given that protests will likely lead to a second spike in the pandemic. But let’s pretend it is real.

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Let’s pretend this happens exactly as they forecast. Sure, 90% of theaters may be open, but will audiences flock to them? Will they show up in big enough numbers to justify the $200 million price tag of the movie? That remains the eternal question here. It’s honestly hard enough for studios to make money off of movies that expensive. You add in COVID-19 and you have an extra hurdle to jump through.

Honestly, I’ll be surprised if Warner Bros. sticks to this July release date. And if they do, I’ll be surprised if Tenet is able to make a profit. Then again, if the pandemic disappears swiftly, things might actually change. But we’ll have to wait and see how it all works out. If nothing else, it’ll be interesting to watch them and other studios continue to adapt to the unpredictable circumstances before them.

Will you head to theaters to see Tenet? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: Business Insider (via Collider)