Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
'Tenet' Abandons Plans For Summer Release In US, Another Major Blow To Movie Theaters
An empty ticket area in a closed AMC movie theater in Santa Monica in March — pandemic closures have devastated the theater business. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The traditional summer movie season has been eviscerated by the pandemic, and now one of the very few studio films set for release in the coming weeks has canceled its plans for a theatrical release.
Warner Bros. today said that Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” whose premiere already had been postponed multiple times, will abandon its Aug. 12 debut. The studio did not announce a new domestic release date, but hinted that “Tenet” could open overseas before it reaches U.S. screens.
Toby Emmerich, the chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, said in a statement:
“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.”
Now that “Tenet” has dropped off the summer release schedule, Disney’s live-action “Mulan” is the only high-profile production set to open in August. But that film, which also has shifted its release date several times, also is likely to scrap its Aug. 10 premiere.
The “Tenet” news could be devastating for theaters, some of which have been teetering on bankruptcy. In California, theaters were allowed to reopen on June 12 in some counties — under many new guidelines and restrictions — only to be ordered shuttered again in early July after COVID-19 cases surged. [Drive-in theaters were allowed to reopen in mid-May.]
The multi-billion dollar industry has recorded no material income for the past three months. As new coronavirus cases surge and officials across the country are reinstating shelter-in-place mandates, some Wall Street analysts are now saying theaters may not open until next year.
Sponsored message
STAY UP-T0-DATE WITH OUR PODCAST: HOLLYWOOD, THE SEQUEL>>
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
