Tenet is already dominating the U.K. box office. The upcoming spy movie is one of the most highly anticipated films of not only the summer, but all of 2020. Tenet is written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning movies Dunkirk and Inception. It stars John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and Michael Caine (The Dark Knight Rises). Considering Tenet's huge stars and top creative talent, as well as its mind-bending visuals custom made for the big screen, Tenet is widely considered the theatrical experience not to be missed.
Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen in some parts of the U.S. Originally slated to open July 17, Tenet's release was postponed multiple times due to the coronavirus pandemic necessitating shutdowns of movie theaters the world over. Though it will only open in select cities in the United States on September 3, other countries, where the virus is more under control, will see the movie this month. The U.K. is on the list, with moviegoers able to check out Tenet when it releases August 26.
As reported by Variety, tickets sales for Tenet went live this past Tuesday at midnight for one of Europe's largest cinema chains, Vue. Tenet was responsible for 60% of tickets sold by the company Wednesday, showing how excited audiences in the U.K. are for Tenet. The Vue Ocean Terminal theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland will itself be boasting 19 showtimes for the film on opening day, while other theaters around the U.K., like the Cineworld in Wolverhampton, England, will feature a whopping 29. What's more, Vue CEO Tim Richards predicts it's only the beginning, as sales are "going to pick up very, very quickly in the week before release," citing more cinemas reopening.
Some of the fervor over Tenet can be attributed to British-American Nolan, whose films have a track record of historically strong performances in the U.K., as well as in the U.S. However, it's far more likely the idea of finally seeing a highly-anticipated film in the theater again is what's driving early ticket sales. Even in places where theaters have already been open for a little while, there haven't been any major releases on the scale of Tenet. Plus, before the coronavirus hit, the movie was already one of 2020's most exciting releases.
It also helps Tenet is one of very few films to have a theatrical release in the next couple of months. In the wake of the pandemic, many studios wound up biting the bullet and decided to release some of their features, including Trolls World Tour, Scoob!, and the recently announced Mulan, via on-demand services and various streaming sites. However, some films are simply built for the big screen viewing experience – an idea Nolan agrees with – and many fans wouldn’t want to watch them any other way. With the buzz, stars, and creative power already behind the visually driven Tenet, viewers in the U.K. are seemingly intent on flocking to theaters in order to check it out.
Source: Variety
