Is July 17th too soon for Theatrical Release?

With movie theaters shut down around the globe and many films either getting delayed releases or siphoned off to streaming services, Warner Brothers has been anomalously adamant about keeping its highly anticipated Christopher Nolan directed “Tenet” on schedule for a July 17th theatrical release. It recently reaffirmed this plan by releasing a new trailer.

“Tenet” is a sci-fi action spy film, but like most Chris Nolan projects, details about the (presumably intricate) plot have been kept under tight wraps. We don’t even know the names of the characters and from the trailers, all we can decipher is that it will have to do with time travel/inversion to prevent World War III and “something worse” than nuclear holocaust. Overall, it looks very twisty and complex… classic Nolan.

Perhaps the reason Warner Brothers has been so steadfast about a theatrical release for “Tenet” is that Chris Nolan is a highly cinematic filmmaker. The director of “Inception,” “Interstellar,” and “The Dark Knight,” Nolan frequently shoots in IMAX and his final products are visual feasts best served on the big screen. He blends practical and visual effects in a manner that few other directors can pull off nowadays and is considered one of the few remaining auteurs in the business, able to rake in blockbuster revenue and hype without relying on franchise or studio labels.

Visual feast could be vicarious travel replacement for fans

For “Tenet,” Nolan shot the film on location across seven countries, working with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema and an all-star cast including John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Kane, and other recognizable faces (including Indian stars Dimple Kapadia and Denzil Smith). Behind the camera, Nolan also teamed up with editor Jennifer Lame, VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson, SFX supervisor Ludwig Göransson, and executive producer Thomas Hayslip. Nolan being a Brit himself, “Tenet” is an acutely international production.

Right now, a few theaters are opening back up, so maybe come July, “Tenet” will be able to deliver on its high box office expectations. However, most intended summer blockbusters have been pushed back to November at the earliest. If the pool of open theaters is not large enough by the intended release date, perhaps “Tenet” will follow suit.

Until then, we will have to wait with bated breath, theorizing what the movie could be about, what weight its palindrome of a title carries, and when we will actually get to see it. One thing’s for sure, though, the film will definitely throw us for unexpected loops and keep us on the edge of our seats. After all, this is the director who most recently gave us the Oscar-nominated WWII epic “Dunkirk,” started his career with the chronologically warped “Momento” and came into the spotlight by transforming the superhero genre with his thrilling reimagining of Batman over a decade ago.

We can’t wait to find out what this modern master of suspense has up his sleeve this time around.

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