Cinemark Theaters to Reopen June 19, Confidence High for Tenet

Deadline brings word that Cinemark is planning to start a multi-phased reopening of its theaters beginning June 19, according to CEO Mark Zoradi, who also feels confidant that Christopher Nolan’s movie Tenet will open on July 17 as planned.

“We’ve been in close contact with Warner Bros. and they remain optimistic and positive as well as Christopher Nolan about the July 17 opening,” said Zoradi.

He added that it also depends on the COVID-19 numbers and “government restrictions being reduced.” Zoradi emphasized that even with auditorium capacities reduced to 50%, Cinemark can “operate profitability with all the (safety) techniques we put in place.”

Of course, there’s always the possibility Warner Bros. could change the release date for the movie, though Zoradi says the phased reopening is flexible and can be shifted so there won’t be any negative financial impact if Cinemark is required to delay reopening by 4-5 weeks.

The multi-phased reopening between June 19 and July 10 includes five theaters opening in the first week around the Dallas Fort Worth area, followed by a third of the chain’s theaters in the second week. The following week will see another third reopening, with remaining theaters opening over the July 10-12 weekend. Safety measures will include disinfecting seats and high touch areas, providing “ample amount of seat and hand sanitizers,” screening employees’ health, guests and employees wearing masks, seat buffering technology, and reduced use of paper tickets.

Tenet will be an international espionage thriller filmed across seven countries. John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman) stars, with a supporting cast that includes Robert Pattinson (Good Time), Elizabeth Debicki (Widows), Dimple Kapadia (Fugly), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight Rises) and Kenneth Branagh (Dunkirk).

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.