‘Tenet’ Pushed Back Until August, Roiling Hollywood’s Summer
‘Tenet’ Release Up in Air Again, Roiling Hollywood’s Summer
(Bloomberg) -- Warner Bros. has delayed the release of the movie “Tenet” again, setting back efforts by theater chains to save the summer blockbuster season.
The film will now debut Aug. 12, two weeks later than expected. In an unusual move, the studio plans to put the movie out on a Wednesday and keep it in theaters “over an extended play period far beyond the norm.” The idea is to give audiences wary of visiting the cinema immediately a chance to see it on the big screen.
Warner Bros. will rerelease an older movie from the same director, “Inception,” on July 31, the date “Tenet” was previously supposed to come out.
Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan have been at odds over the timing, with the director pushing for an earlier premiere and the studio taking a more cautious approach, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. The sci-fi psychological thriller stars John David Washington, Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh.
There’s growing speculation among theater chains that more schedule changes are looming, with Walt Disney Co.’s “Mulan,” slated for July 24, also in jeopardy. The heads of the major cinema chains, including market leader AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc., have said they expect the release calendar to shift around in response to the pandemic, and that they’ll be more flexible than normal.
Disney previously delayed “Mulan” from March to July following the shutdown of theaters across the U.S. to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Now it’s considering pushing it back again, the Wall Street Journal reported this week, citing an unidentified person familiar with the matter. Disney didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
The shake-up could leave Hollywood with its worst drought of summer blockbusters since “Jaws” ushered in the concept in 1975. Theater chains had been preparing for a return to relative normal next month. The companies have been reopening cinemas with new cleaning regimens and employees in masks. But without big new movies to show, the already-struggling chains will have little to entice customers.
The “Tenet” release had already been pushed earlier back this month, from July 17 to July 31. And another big Warner Bros. film, “Wonder Woman 1984” was moved to Oct. 2 from Aug. 14.
No matter how the schedule changes, studios could have a tough time recouping their investment in movies like “Mulan” and “Tenet,” both of which have budgets around $200 million. Theaters have capped ticket sales to adhere to social-distancing guidelines, and fresh outbreaks in many states will likely scare away potential customers.
While the official “Mulan” debut date remains less than a month away, Disney executives would typically start up a promotion machine, including billboards, TV ads and social media campaigns. Instead, they’ve held back as case numbers rise.
Warner Bros., part of AT&T Inc., has made a small marketing push for “Tenet,” not the campaign you would typically see for a $200 million movie. Nolan, who wrote and directed the film, is a big proponent of the traditional movie-theater experience and wants his films seen in cinemas. His previous pictures include 2017’s “Dunkirk” and three Batman movies.
Studios are still planning to show smaller new films in theaters in July. “Unhinged,” a psychological thriller starring Russell Crowe, and romantic comedy “Broken Hearts Gallery,” are both expected to come out in coming weeks.
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