Warner Bros delays 'Tenet' in setback for reopening efforts

[LOS ANGELES] Warner Bros pushed back the highly anticipated premiere of the movie "Tenet" by two weeks, delaying theatre chains' attempts to get back to normal after the coronavirus shutdown.

The Christopher Nolan thriller, which had been slated for July 17, will now open on July 31, the AT&T-owned studio said on Friday.

US states have begun giving movie theatres permission to reopen, but there haven't been new films to show. Though the Russell Crowe road-rage picture "Unhinged" is slated for July 1, "Tenet" is seen as the first major test of whether a blockbuster can attract audiences in a Covid-19 world.

Walt Disney's "Mulan" remake now looks to become the first tentpole movie of the summer. Unless it too is delayed, that film debuts on July 24.

In lieu of debuting "Tenet" on July 17, Warner Bros will release a 10th-anniversary edition of another Nolan film, "Inception."

"It's been longer than any of us could've imagined since we've seen a movie on the big screen, and to acknowledge Chris's fans as we count down to 'Tenet's' opening day, we are also excited to offer his masterpiece 'Inception' in theatres for its 10th anniversary," Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros pictures group, said in a statement.

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