The upcoming Christopher Nolan film Tenet has gone back and forth on its theatrical debut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the original release date was slated for July 17th, it was pushed a month ahead to August 12th and then delayed indefinitely. Now, Tenet will make its theatrical debut internationally first before coming to the US.
Warner Brothers and Nolan were hesitant to come out with an official release date, as they wanted to keep their original plan of releasing Tenet in theaters instead of streaming it or taking it to VOD.
While US theaters are not ready to reopen, a decision has finally been made to release Tenet in IMAX theaters on August 26th in over 70 territories, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia and the United Kingdom, according to Variety. For American viewers, Tenet plans to make a debut in select US theaters on September 3rd for labor Day weekend. Warner Brothers is still waiting for the approval to release the film in China, the second-biggest movie market.
While a rolling debut could have some risks, such as piracy and spoilers, perhaps the overseas release will increase anticipation for American viewers.
