WB Delays 'Tenet' Indefinitely & Says Film Won't Have A "Traditional" Release

RIP Summer Movie Season 2020. Gone before you even could begin.

As was anticipated by just about anyone with a TV and knowledge of the current state of affairs regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. has gone ahead and delayed Christopher Nolan’sTenet” yet again. Except, when it comes to this delay, there’s no new date to pencil in on your calendar. Instead, just cryptic teases and the assurance that WB is not going to keep kicking the can down the road. This time, “Tenet” is delayed indefinitely.

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According to Variety, WB has confirmed Nolan’s new film, “Tenet,” which was originally set to release on July 17 before getting delayed to July 31 and then August 12, is now off the schedule completely. But don’t be too concerned, Nolan faithful, the film will get a new date “imminently.”

“We will share a new 2020 release date imminently for ‘Tenet,’ Christopher Nolan’s wholly original and mind-blowing feature,” said Warner Bros. boss Toby Emmerich. “We are not treating ‘Tenet’ like a traditional global day-and-date release, and our upcoming marketing and distribution plans will reflect that.”

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He added, “Our goals throughout this process have been to ensure the highest odds of success for our films while also being ready to support our theater partners with new content as soon as they could safely reopen. We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from exhibitors and remain steadfast in our commitment to the theatrical experience around the world. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to proliferate, causing us to reevaluate our release dates.”

Of course, we don’t know what “imminently” means (Later this fall? Spring 2021? Summer 2021?), but the really interesting thing about the statement has to be about the release strategy of the film. This is the first confirmation that “Tenet” will not have a “traditional day-and-date release” meaning that it appears WB is interested in exploring the idea of releasing the film internationally first before in North America. As was reported recently, this is an idea that was apparently already discussed but turned down because Nolan and the studio didn’t want to leave US cinemas out in the cold while other territories around the world earn money from the film.

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But that’s just one aspect of the release that could be non-traditional. There’s also the chance WB decides to release the film only in locations where COVID-19 isn’t surging. So, that could usher in an opportunity for some US cities and regions to get “Tenet” well before others. Basically, if you live in Florida, California, Arizona, or any of the other “hotspots,” you could be out of luck.

Obviously, this is all speculation until the full details of the release are known. But it doesn’t sound like WB has many more options left.

But what isn’t speculation is the other announcements from WB, including a new date for “The Conjuring 3.” The film was originally scheduled to be released on September 11 but is not going to arrive in cinemas until June 4, 2021. This isn’t so much about the current state of theaters, but more because the film was supposed to have scheduled reshoots in April, which never happened due to the pandemic. In addition, WB also made sure to confirm that the delay of “Tenet” has no effect on the release dates for “Wonder Woman 1984” (October 2) and “Dune” (December 18).