Warner Bros. Delays Theatrical Release of Christopher Nolan’s Tenet

June 12, 2020

It’s news we’ve all been dreading as we near the highly-anticipated film’s release, but Warner Bros. has confirmed that Christopher Nolan’s latest project Tenet will be delayed, but rather than to next year like so many delayed films this year, it will now open at the end of July, according to Variety.

“We’re especially thrilled, in this complex and rapidly changing environment, to be bringing Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, a global tentpole of jaw-dropping size, scope and scale, to theaters around the world on July 31,” Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement. “It’s been longer than any of us could’ve imagined since we’ve seen a movie on the big screen, and to acknowledge Chris’ fans as we count down to ‘Tenet’’s opening day, we are also excited to offer his masterpiece ‘Inception’ in theaters for its 10th anniversary on July 17.”

The most recent Tenet trailer arrived stamped with the tag, “Coming to theaters,” though copy within the YouTube video continued to push the July 17 release. And while everyone at Warner Bros. remained optimistic situations will improve enough for them to release the film and NATO recently confirmed theaters would be open in time, it appears Warner Bros. would rather be safe than sorry by delaying the film by two weeks. Tenet’s success will obviously pave the way for other planned releases, including Disney’s Mulan remake on July 24 and Warner Bros.’ Wonder Woman 1984 on August 14.

The film is written by Nolan and will utilize a mixture of IMAX and 70mm film, which is something he’s become famous for.

The director first made an impact in 2001 with his indie film Memento. His next film, Insomnia, was also a modest hit. but it wasn’t until Batman Begins hit theaters in 2005 that Nolan became a box office force in his own right. The Prestige was Nolan’s last movie to gross under $200 million worldwide. His other films include The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk.