Christopher Nolan’s Tenet projected to open very low at the box office

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

As government officials, healthcare workers, members of the essential workforce and everyone else on the planet continues to adjust to life during a global pandemic, many have been asking the same question: When will life return to normal? The unfortunate answer to this query is that no one really knows, and it could be quite sometime before something as simple as going to the movies feels normal again. That said, select theater owners are busy preparing for the future, and with that comes the release of Christopher Nolan's TENET on July 17. Obviously, whether or not TENET will actually make it to theaters on its projected premiere date remains to be seen, and even if it does, theater owners and studio execs anticipate the film's opening box office numbers to be on the low end of the spectrum.

In a recent interview with Variety, National Association of Theatre Owners’ CEO John Fithian explained that plans are in motion to open major chains AMC and Cinemark back up by mid-July. The move would of course have select theaters opening their doors just in time for the much-anticipated release of TENET, as well as Disney's live-action version of MULAN, which is set to honor us all in theaters on July 24.

We’ve put together a task force of our members, as well as experts on health and safety and supply chains,” Fithian told the entertainment outlet. “We’re planning for how we open up our seating so we can adhere to strict social distancing guidelines. We’re encouraging companies to lean in on reserved ticketing and to train their staff to prevent congestion in the lobbies. Members are staggering showtimes so everyone isn’t arriving at the multiplex at the same time. We are considering innovative ways to sell concessions in order to reduce human contact. And we’re making sure that employees stay home if they feel sick.

As the situation currently stands, Nolan's TENET and director Niki Caro's MULAN would serve as tentpole test subjects for the new plan, which I'll add is still a work-in-progress. By limiting the amount of new releases making their way to theaters, cinema chains will be afforded the opportunity to screen both TENET and MULAN in multiple theaters under one roof. By allowing the new hotness to play across multiple screens, theaters can then limit a theater's occupancy, thereby adhering to social distancing rules while inside each theater. It's also been said that because new release offerings will be limited to both TENET and MULAN, each film will screen for an extended period of time in theaters. In other words, the box office returns could start small, but over time could lead to a solid take, all things considered.

Our members are motivated to make sure that these films do as well as possible,” Fithian said. “We feel like Disney and Warner are demonstrating their belief in the theatrical model by doing this, so we’re going to go the extra mile. I think that traditional windowing will make sense for these movies. They will play a lot longer in theaters than they would have a year ago. They won’t open to the kind of numbers they would have a year ago, but there’s going to be tremendous word-of-mouth. People are going to love ‘Tenet’ and share that on social media.

Filmed across seven countries and presented as an international espionage thriller, TENET stars John David Washington (BlacKKKlansman), with future Batman Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki (WIDOWS), Dimple Kapadia (FUGLY), Arron Taylor-Johnson (KICK-ASS, GODZILLA), Michael Caine (THE DARK KNIGHT RISES) and Kenneth Branagh all being featured as members of the film's support cast.

TENET was already one of the most anticipated films of 2020, and now that its release could set the pace for other films to come this year, fans and analysts are bound to keeping a close eye on its box office performance and then some.

Are you prepared to return to theaters for the chance to see Christopher Nolan's TENET on the big screen? Does Fithian's plan for making theaters a safe space to view the latest movies put you at ease about the future of cinema? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments section below.