The enigmatic yet hypnotic Tenet is another fantastically constructed, high concept action movie from the mind of the modern day cinematic auteur Christopher Nolan. The film combines elements of time travel and science fiction with ‘James Bond-esque’ espionage sequences to give the audience non-stop thrills from the very beginning to the very end.

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The film itself has garnered a reputation for being confusing, requiring further research and potential rewatches in order to fully understand the concepts that Nolan is asking the audience to grapple with. While the audience may also have difficulty following aspects of the film, the behind-the-scenes facts also show a difficulty on the part of the actors.

The Level Of Production Secrecy Was Intense

The secrecy surrounding Tenet was about the only thing the public knew about the new Nolan movie. It took some time before a trailer was even released for the project, with many not even knowing what the film would actually be about. Arguably, the movie's plot only made a lick of sense when the final trailer was released. However, this secrecy also impacted the cast.

For example, Sir Michael Caine was only allowed to read his section of the script, while Tenet's stars Robert Pattinson and John David Washington both got to read the full script, but in locked rooms at Warner Bros. Studio.

The Cast Really Had To Act Backwards

In simple terms, Tenet deals with the concept of ‘inversion,’ meaning that certain events play out backwards. This is seen in the final cut when some sequences had actors either speaking in reverse or moving in reverse while others were moving correctly.

In some situations, the actor actually had to learn the reverse of their choreography or even learn how to speak their lines backwards. Kenneth Branagh, in particular, had to learn to speak his lines backwards in a Russian accent.

Robert Pattinson Was Inspired By Christopher Hitchens

Robert Pattinson’s character in Tenet -- Neil -- was one of the highlights of the film. Pattinson’s performance was very ‘James Bond-esque’, with Neil coming off as a suave and sophisticated secret agent.

However, what is interesting is that Pattinson didn’t use James Bond as a direct inspiration for his character. Instead, Pattinson saw the late British journalist and writer Christopher Hitchens as the main inspiration behind his character.

Tenet Was Made With 100% Practical Stunts & Effects

Tenet Action

As technology and CGI has improved over the past couples of decades, the need for practical effects has also diminished, with movie studios opting for CGI due to its cheaper, quicker methods in producing the desired effects.

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However, for Tenet, Nolan opted to have his movie be entirely reliant upon real effects, refusing to use any green screens in the production of the movie. This is unsurprising, given Nolan's adamant preference for practical effects and only using digital work when absolutely necessary.

Christopher Nolan Thought About Tenet For Nearly 20 Years

While Nolan only started working on the script for this movie around six years ago, the ideas at the core of Tenet had been present in Nolan’s mind for over 20 years, with the British director grappling with the concepts for sometime.

Anyone who has watched the film would understand that these ideas must’ve been worked on for sometime, with the film clearly relying upon a delicate balance of science-fiction and scientific fact. The amount of research needed for Tenet to make sense would've taken years at least to complete, let alone fully comprehend and condense into a blockbuster movie.

A Real Plane Was Crashed

One of the most memorable elements of the movie comes from Neil’s plan to crash a plane into the Freeport. The scene itself looked incredible, as if an actual plane had been crashed into a building for the purposes of the movie. The reason why it looked so real is that it actually was.

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Nolan was originally going to use miniatures to capture the scene, but realized it would be cheaper to just buy a disused plane and crash it into a real building. This isn't the first time Nolan demolished a plane for a movie, as seen in The Dark Knight Rises' unforgettable opening, where Bane staged a mid-air escape.

The Original Title Was "Merry Go Round"

John David Washington in Tenet poster running

The palindromic title of Tenet helps to perfectly tie into the concept of the movie, with inversion being the key concept that audiences must get their head around in order to fully understand the plot and actions of the movie.

However, the film didn’t always bear the title of Tenet. The working title of the film, "Merry Go Round," also reflected the movie’s plot fairly descriptively but it lacked the simple impact of "Tenet."

Tenet Is One Of The Most Expensive Original Films In History

John David Washington in Tenet

It goes without saying that Nolan is one of the most celebrated directors working in Hollywood today. As a result, whatever the director wants, the director gets. So despite it being an original movie (which are generally cheaper than blockbuster franchise tentpoles), the studio gave Nolan a massive budget of $205 million dollars to work with.

This is a huge budget for an original movie, making it one of the most expensive original movies of all time. While movies like Endgame receive a higher budget, they’re far more likely to attract a wide audience due to the brand/name recognition. The fact that an original movie was given this budget shows how much the studio values Nolan.

Tenet Is As Scientifically Accurate As Possible

At its core, Tenet is a science-fiction movie that obviously relies on more imagination than science. However, despite this, Nolan still wanted his film to be at least grounded in some kind of scientific realism.

To achieve this desired accuracy or at least plausibility, Nolan asked physicist Kip Thorne to read through the script and offer some help in working through the concepts at hand. Needless to say, getting a real academic genius helped give Tenet its realistic edge.

Kat Was Written Specifically For Elizabeth Debicki

The female lead in Tenet, Kat, was remarkably portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki. Some would say that the role was perfect for her but what is interesting is that audiences aren't the only ones thinking that. As it turns out, the role of Kat was written with Debicki in mind.

The French/ Australian actress was offered the role of Kat by Nolan, but she insisted on auditioning so that she felt she had still earned the part. Nolan’s decisions came about when his producing partner and wife, Emma Thomas, insisted that he rewrite the part of Kat for Debicki after watching her in Widows.

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