Tenet's new release plan could cause problems both in terms of box office and Nolan's own artistic vision. The widespread ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic continue to be felt in 2020. For the movie and TV industry specifically, normality is very far from resumed, and while production is beginning to lurch into gear in some areas of the world, recent spikes in the United States continue to render movie theaters a no-go for many. When it comes to already-completed movies, COVID-19 still wreaks havoc. The likes of Trolls World Tour and Artemis Fowl have released digitally in some capacity, but bigger blockbusters such as No Time To Die have been pushed back far longer. Hollywood is now finding a compromise of sorts, with Bill & Ted Face The Music lined up to release both digitally and in theaters.
As things stand, movies are more likely to make money digitally than in limited, socially-distanced theaters, but the decision to release via both mediums has proven controversial with theater chains. Generally speaking, studios are moving their big blockbusters back, hoping to distribute them when the world more closely resembles normal. Tenet's release is the major exception. Originally set for July 17th, there was little chance of Tenet making that date once COVID arrived. But while other big movies were subjected to significant delays, Tenet has only been inched back, reportedly due to Christopher Nolan's reluctance to delay his new film - something IMAX president Richard Gelfond mentioned in a conference call back in April. In Warner Bros.' latest announcement, Tenet is scheduled to hit several European territories on August 26th, and then release in "select" U.S. cities September 3rd.
This could prove unwise for several reasons, not least of which is the potential for piracy. With people stuck indoors more than usual, and some unable or unwilling to return to movie theaters, the demand for pirated major movies is significant, and staggering the release between Europe and the U.S. provides an opportunity for that demand to be met. It's also hard to physically throw somebody out of a movie theater for filming while still maintaining a 6-foot distance. Another concern is a scenario whereby Tenet is safe to release in Europe next month, but the September U.S. date suffers further setbacks. The wider that time frame, the more customers are going to pirate Tenet in the U.S. instead of waiting for the theatrical release.
Experts are predicting that Warner Bros. will struggle to avoid a hefty loss on Tenet, so juggling the release is now perhaps an exercise in damage limitation. In this respect, higher piracy will be a bigger worry for the studio than it will to the director, with Christopher Nolan's priority to preserve the cinematic integrity of his next work. However, more piracy doesn't just lead to lower box office, it also means more people will be watching Tenet on small screens at home, likely in a lower resolution. Nolan's big motivation for insisting on a theatrical-only release is to ensure Tenet is enjoyed in its intended format, but by also resisting a lengthy delay, increased demand to see the film illicitly could actually mean less people witnessing Tenet on the big screen.
Like waking in dreams or time going backwards, Tenet's release problems come down to an inherent paradox. If reports are to be believed, Christopher Nolan is simultaneously reluctant to either release Tenet digitally or to delay the film for any significant stretch of time. The only option would be a small theatrical release in areas where it's safe to do so. This would be fine were it not for Warner Bros., who understandably want to recoup as much of their sizable investment as possible. Although the situation is changing on an almost weekly basis, staggering Tenet's release across territories could potentially benefit no one - a large portion of fans will miss out depending on where they live, Warner Bros. will lose revenue that could've been gained by delaying the film until a more suitable date, and Nolan will be left disappointed when most people end up watching Tenet on their laptops and iPads. Surely, the only logical solution that benefits all parties is to delay Tenet until the world is in a better place.
