Will Tenet be able to reboot the exhibition industry?

[Marcel Birgelen]

First of all, my apologies for the somewhat teasery topic title, but I actually think it fits the topic quite well. :P

As most of you certainly already know, Tenet will be Christopher Nolan's next, highly anticipated release, which is still scheduled for a global release mid-July, despite other big productions having been rescheduled for much later this year.

Apparently, Christoper Nolan explicitly choose not to kick the can further down the road and to actually release this movie largely on its originally scheduled plan, a few notable exceptions include Italy, who will see the opening in September.

This will be a $200M+ gamble, as many theaters will still operate with heavy restrictions on the release date. But nevertheless, it would be one of the bigger releases of the year and it could also signal some kind of reboot for the exhibition industry.

I myself don't really know what to expect. Nolan can be a great director with some very distinguished output under his belt, but his movies also often resonate more with a broad niche than with the general public. I think Inception, to which this seems to be somewhat of the informal sequel, was a pretty solid movie and it also did pretty well as a summer blockbuster back in 2010.

So, what do you expect? Will Tenet mark somewhat of a reboot for the exhibition industry? Will it have sufficient pull to "fill" those theaters again, despite all the restrictions in place? Or will it fizzle like a wet firecracker?

[Mark Lane]

It will not be the savor for us because sci-fi movies do not do well for us.. but it will be a breath of fresh air to have something new to show.
Just this week the stay at home order was lifted here in Michigan. We can have indoor gatherings of up to 10 people, so tonight I will be opening the theater to show a movie to 10 people. A lot can change between now and July 17th but as things stand now, all I can do is rent the theater to a group of 10 people are less for a private showing.
I am more looking forward to Mulan.

[Marcel Birgelen]

Most Sci-Fi movies indeed carter to a specific fan base. I happen to like GOOD sci-fi, unfortunately, there isn't all too much of that. It's also a hard to define genre, some things that end up being labeled sci-fi really are more fantasy than sci-fi.

It's been 10 years already, but I remember how Inception was kind-of a slow starter around here, where it only drew in soft crowds at the beginning, it really had a very steady and long run, eventually becoming one of the top 5 grossing movies. While this movie can be classified as sci-fi, it certainly hasn't the "hard core" sci-fi feel to it. Many of the dream sequences are also more fantasy, due to the very nature of them. Many people I know, that usually don't watch sci-fi movies, did watch Inception and many did like it.

I think actively marketing Tenet as somewhat of a sequel to Inception, even if it's probably not a direct sequel, but something set in a similar universe in similar style, would probably give it a competitive edge.

[Mark Lane]

I received an email from a new studio pushing their new movie "Unhinged" They are looking to open it on July 1st.
It looks to be a movie about extreme road rage but at this point, any moive that is not in someone's DVD collection, offered on Netflix or some streaming service, I am interested in. If we show Unhinged, it will give us better expectations on what to expect for Tenet and Mulan.

[Frank Cox]

There's also Max Winslow and the House of Secrets, which I don't know anything about other than that I got an email yesterday asking if I want to play it.

[Marcel Birgelen]

There's also Max Winslow and the House of Secrets, which I don't know anything about other than that I got an email yesterday asking if I want to play it.

I guess now is the perfect time to promote your indie release. But when they offer it for very attractive terms without any kinds of minimum commitments, why not just try it? Maybe you could offer "Grindhouse Style" double features of two of those B-list movies. I'd say there is no shame in just trying something "new" to get yourself into the picture again.

[Terry Monohan]

I wonder If they will do any 70mm film showings in the USA and what cinemas?

[Marcel Birgelen]

I wonder If they will do any 70mm film showings in the USA and what cinemas?

It will be interesting what remains of the original plans, but there were even some limited 15/70 IMAX presentations planned. There's even an ad on this very forum, looking for IMAX projectionists for a limited engagement, although it doesn't state Tenet is the official reason, what else could it be.

[Tim Androes]

I think Nolan is an acquired taste unless it is a Batman movie. i don't think this is going to appeal to the great unwashed masses. I've watched the trailers and they seem to be a convoluted mess; of course with some of todays trailers you've just seen the whole movie and can skip the theater experience.