When Christopher Nolan’s Tenet hit the theatres (after several delays) amid the pandemic, it failed to break even, grossing $365.3 million against a budget of $205 million. It seemed at the time to many that the decision to have theaters opened for the tentpole initiative was a hasty one. Some industry analysts deemed the decision ‘premature.’
At the height of COVID-19, the film suffered considerable setbacks depriving itself of the larger-than-life identity it was supposed to be known for.
The good news is that starting February 23, before Dune: Part Two, Tenet will return to theaters for a limited run of special IMAX screenings in 70 mm formats. The decision to have done so is multi-faceted. Riding on the high of Oppenheimer that invigorated the demand for the film projection format has allowed the upcoming re-release to satiate the audiences who couldn’t catch the 2020 endeavor in all its theatrical glory.
But also, beyond that, as Nolan himself revealed recently, the reason why the re-release makes sense is that it is being extended to the movie-goers the way it was intended. With this, viewers can reclaim the ambiance and experience they were previously robbed of.
Christopher Nolan Reveals The Reality Behind The 2024 Tenet Re-release
In a recent special early screening for Tenet (2020), followed up by an exclusive sneak peek into Dune: Part Two hosted by Letterboxd, filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve were in attendance to engage in a live discussion at Universal City’s AMC CityWalk. Catching them for a conversation, AP reports what the Oppenheimer alum had to say about the John David Washington starrer’s re-release.
Readers acquainted with the latest developments in the film realm are aware of the falling out between Nolan and Warner Bros. in 2020-2021. With how the studio has attempted to mend the relationship since then, the helmer reuniting with the Burbank, CA lot to bring back Tenet to the theatres comes off as a pleasant surprise. Before the Oscar-nominated Cillian Murphy venture, Warner Bros. was the home to several endeavors spearheaded by the 53-year-old visionary.
Offering viewers the premise as it was intended to be seen has been deemed the fundamental motivation behind the re-release. Following was Christopher Nolan’s statement:
“[Tenet] is a film that was designed, almost more than any I’ve made, to be enjoyed in this form [IMAX 70mm and 70mm prints] … When I heard they were going to be making film prints on ‘Dune: Part Two,’ I jumped at that and thought what if we opened up the week before? We can dust off the projectors.”
He also affirmed:
“…Living in Los Angeles, I never got to see it with an audience … So, this is a really fun opportunity to get it in front of people [how] it was intended. “The thing with “Tenet” is … it’s the one that’s very much about the experience of watching films. It tries to build on that experience.”
The renowned filmmaker emphasized how revisiting the film in the theatrical 70mm format is about building on the ambiance. The sound and music are meant to elevate the audience’s journey through the narrative. It relies on the magnification of the elements that film boasts as a distinguished medium.
“More than any film I’ve made, “Tenet” was designed to have this very theatrical, IMAX, larger-than-life identity,” concluded the director.
As the pandemic raged on, only select cities in the United States could witness Tenet in 2020, and even then, the dire situation limited audience attendance. Although many theatres were open (internationally, too), New York and Los Angeles reportedly widely missed out on the initial theatrical run. Critics’ reviews (many of whom deemed the plot too puzzling) didn’t help its case.
Christopher Nolan-Warner Bros. Reunion For Tenet Re-release Comes After A Public Breakup
According to Christopher Nolan, via the AP report, when he approached Warner Bros. (with the prospects of Tenet’s IMAX 70mm re-release) film chiefs Pamela Abdy and Michael De Luca, they reassured him that “they got it.” This development has suggested that the relationship between the helmer and the studio isn’t irreparably harmed beyond repair.
Previously, in late 2020, Nolan expressed his displeasure with the studio—with whom he enjoyed a long-standing collaboration—when they decided to shift the release schedule for all of their 2021 films to a day-and-date hybrid structure. This implied that movies scheduled for release that year would debut simultaneously on the streaming service (HBO Max) and in cinemas.
He didn’t mince his words when it came to criticizing the move (via ET):
“In 2021, they’ve got some of the top filmmakers in the world … some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects … that are meant to be big-screen experiences. They’re meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences. And now they’re being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service—for the fledgling streaming service—without any consultation.”
Shortly after, Christopher Nolan parted ways with the studio in 2021.
Since then, attempts have been made towards reconciliation on Warner Bros.’s behalf. At the time of the tremor-inducing decision, then-CEO Jason Kilar was at the helm. With him having stepped down, film chiefs Abdy and De Luca, recruited by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, came into the picture. And they were adamant in winning over Christopher Nolan again. “We’re hoping to get Nolan back,” De Luca said to Variety in 2023.
Not only that, but the filmmaker himself confirmed (via Variety) that the so-called ‘feud’ is now “water under the bridge,” And on the possibility of working with the Burbank, CA lot again, he confirmed, “Oh yeah, absolutely.”
Whether that happens remains to be seen.
At present, you can look forward to Tenet‘s limited comeback to theaters, scheduled to begin on February 23, 2024. The 2020 film is also available on Amazon Prime Video via buying/renting.
