Christopher Nolan - Appreciation Thread

jake24

Really happy they made the smart decision not to group Canada with the US and delay the film in the entirety of North America. Really looking forward to going back to the movies with Tenet.

RichardTheBruce

More Than 80 Percent of the U.S. Can
See ‘Tenet’ in Theaters on September 3

See the complete article here:

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/07/more-than-80-percent-of-the-u-s-tenet-theaters-september-3-1234577156/

Christopher Nolan's blockbuster doesn't need New York or Los Angeles to open.
Tom Brueggemann | Jul 30, 2020 7:43 pm

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

There’s no shortage of social-media naysayers, but Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has many reasons to keep its September 3 domestic opening. Granted: If Warner Bros. had to wait for New York and Los Angeles to open, that date would be highly unlikely. Those regions are traditionally so key that many films initially open in those two cities alone, but with “Tenet” we can reasonably expect the inverse: It will open almost everywhere except in those major metropolitan areas.

As Warner Bros. announced, “Tenet” will show in “select” cities. Not all. They know it won’t initially play everywhere, including the top two markets in the country. Given COVID-19, all is subject to change — but nowadays that asterisk must follow any long-range planning. Nolan’s film is scheduled to open in 50 territories between August 26 and 28, including Germany, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Korea, and Australia; other major countries like Russia and Japan follow soon thereafter. China’s also approved the film for release, albeit without a date.

Theaters already operate in most of these countries; in the U.S. today, 45 states permit indoor theaters to operate (with safety precautions) in all or most locations. Because of lack of new product, most have yet to do so. To preclude the September 3 opening, governments would have to shut them down — and that’s much more difficult to do than delaying permission to open.

We spoke to exhibition sources in some of the riskier regions who question whether they will make the date, but it’s clear that most of the nation’s cinemas will open as allowed. They are not irresponsible people, but their companies’ survival depends on this. And they will play “Tenet.”

Most of the U.S. population now has indoor theaters in which to see “Tenet” on September 3, and most of those have drive-in theaters as a backup. Even in COVID-19 hotspots like Atlanta and Houston, indoor theaters are open; areas that forbid theater openings today could change.

Of the top three domestic circuits, Cinemark already has opened some locations. Regal’s website gives August 21 as its goal, and AMC has said to expect opening by the end of August for most theaters, if not earlier. Wide releases should start August 21 with “Unhinged” (Solstice), “Antebellum” (Lionsgate), “Words On Bathroom Walls” (Roadside Attractions), and a reissue of “Inception” (Warner Bros.). All are expected to play with major marketing support and wide release — business as usual. Expect other films to be made available.

That’s three weeks from now. Making this date will be the first step to releasing “Tenet” 13 days later, on September 3. More theaters might wait, using that film to reopen September 3. Regions with restrictions will push hard for permission, and we should expect reports of initial practices to influence decisions. The hope is the two weeks leading up to “Tenet” will create forward momentum (also: one of the reasons that foreign territories will get the film first).

We compiled an exhaustive list of the theater-opening rules now in effect; our sources include the extensive research done by the National Association of Theater Owners in addition to outside verification. In addition, reported grosses from theaters open last weekend showed indoor theaters operating in more than 40 states.

Based on this data, only Arizona, California, New Jersey, and New York face indoor theater closings statewide. Arizona has an August 9 reopening date; the others do not have a date. Some urban areas such as Seattle and Detroit also do not have approval.

Most states have capacity limitations. Some range from 25 percent-66 percent, per auditorium; others have a specific maximum, regardless of auditorium size. Various social distancing rules are in play nearly everywhere.

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

All told, even if all of California and New York couldn’t open and a few other areas besides, more than 80 percent of the population would still have the potential to see “Tenet” in an indoor theater. Not that all of the filmgoers within those numbers will attend; some undetermined part of the audience — likely substantial — won’t return even if this is hailed as the greatest film ever made.

Again: All of this is as things stand now. That’s the rub. The last six months show that making firm predictions is foolish. But so is being certain it won’t happen.

RichardTheBruce

For ‘Tenet,’ Practical Time Inversion
Stunts ‘Changed the Whole Way a Set
Has to Work’

See the complete article here:

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-practical-time-inversion-stunts-changed-set-1234577672/

"Chris is definitely in the business of making things more complicated," says
production designer Nathan Crowley.
Zack Sharf | Aug 3, 2020 11:25 am | @zsharf

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan is widely known for prioritizing practical effects and stunt work over visual effects, and that even applies to when he’s manipulating time. At the center of Nolan’s upcoming new movie “Tenet” is the use of time inversion. Trailers for the film have shown action sequences in which cars and ships move in reverse. One sequence finds John David Washington’s character firing a gun, but the bullet moves backwards in time out of the target and into the weapon. If it sounds confusing, try pulling off time inversion action scenes using practical stunt work.

“It’s all practical. It really is practical,” Nolan’s longtime production designer Nathan Crowley recently told Collider about the film’s use of time inversion. “It was complicated for all departments, specifically for the stunt department. Inversion, forward and backward, it changes the whole way the set has to work.”

Just how the “Tenet” production team pulled off the look of time inversion through practical effects is remaining under wraps for now. Crowley is under strict orders not to spoil anything about the making of “Tenet” or the movie’s plot, although he did say he had to read the script five times just to get his head around the intricacies of the story.

“We always say we can’t do the film we just made without having done all the others,” said Crowley, whose work with Christopher Nolan includes “The Prestige,” “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar,” and “Dunkirk,” all of which earned him Oscar nominations for Best Production Design. “They all taught us something along the way. Chris is definitely in the business of making things more complicated, not less complicated.”

Nolan and Crowley shot “Interstellar” in three countries and “The Dark Knight Rises” in five countries, so the two were eager to top themselves with “Tenet.” As the production designer said, “We decided we were going to try and get to seven countries and spend our money on trying to get around these locations. I felt like I was on a plane the whole time trying to figure out all these different countries and what we were doing. We ended up in seven countries. There is a big element in it of, ‘How are we going to do that?'”

Warner Bros. will be opening “Tenet” in theaters in select U.S. cities starting September 3.
A global rollout for the Nolan film begins August 26.

Creasy47

Tenet has under 300 VFX shots:

https://collider.com/tenet-visual-effects-shots-christopher-nolan/

RichardTheBruce

‘Tenet’ Unlikely to Screen for U.S. Press
in Major Cities Ahead of International
Premiere

See the complete article here:

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-us-press-screenings-1234578216/

As Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated feature readies for a worldwide
release, Warner Bros. is pursuing a different kind of screening plan: safe,
socially distanced, and not for everyone.
Kate Erbland | August 5, 2020 | @katerbland

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

As Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated “Tenet” prepares for its upcoming worldwide release, Warner Bros. is pursuing a different kind of screening plan for members of the press. When the secretive project is finally shown, screenings will be safe, socially distanced — and not for everyone.

Two sources close to Warner Bros. confirmed that press screenings will take place for the film, but it will not screen in markets in which theaters are not currently open. For the moment, that means that “Tenet” won’t be shown to press in major markets like New York City or Los Angeles, where both theaters and smaller screening rooms remain closed.

The studio will adhere to the current safety regulations in place from respective local and state authorities for each screening. Safety is said to be paramount to the studio, given the current state of the world and the ongoing pandemic. Representatives are planning to reach out to individual members of the press to gauge their comfort level with various options before setting official screening dates, times, and locations.

That means “Tenet” could screen for press in a variety of ways, from an IMAX theater screening with a handful of members of the press at a time to smaller screening rooms potentially hosting one person at a time. The traditional all-media screening — where hundreds of journalists gather to see a film in a massive theater — is not an option, and Warner Bros. has taken it off the table indefinitely.

While most IMAX theaters are currently closed, as they are predominantly owned by national chains that are not open at this time, there is a possibility the film will screen for press in markets with IMAX theaters, but don’t count on Nolan’s IMAX preference to win the day.

For the moment, more than 80 percent of U.S. markets can screen “Tenet” on opening day, so the studio is putting its resources into evaluating those options. Only Arizona, California, New Jersey, and New York are currently off the table; that leaves major markets such as Boston, Chicago, and Miami as viable for now.

Sources close to both WB and Nolan say the filmmaker is leaving the screening plan up to the studio, and it’s safe to assume that the studio will not be making digital links available to domestic press.

Given the current release schedule for the film, members of the press in Europe are likely to see it before American journalists. “Tenet” will open in over 70 countries worldwide starting on August 26. Major territories will include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The film will open in the United States over Labor Day weekend in select cities.

The studio had originally dated the film for global release on July 17. Two release delays were announced amid the coronavirus pandemic: The first pushed “Tenet” to July 31, and the second moved it to August 12.

The newest release plan, announced late last month, expanded on a statement Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich issued July 20 when it temporarily removed the film from its release calendar, saying the studio would not be giving the Nolan tentpole a “traditional global day-and-date release.”

As with so many elements of the “Tenet” release, this is all subject to change, but the intent remains the same: “Tenet” will be seen in theaters.

RichardTheBruce

New Tenet Trailer Explains More Of Nolan’s
Time Reversal

See the complete article here:

https://screenrant.com/tenet-movie-trailer-china-time-inversion-explained/

A new international Tenet trailer explains more of how the film's time inversion
concept works while commemorating its planned Chinese release.
By Chris Agar 10 hours ago

A new Tenet trailer explains more of how the film's time inversion concept works. After being delayed multiple times due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Tenet is now scheduled to debut in several international markets in late August, before opening in the U.S. come September. For a short period of time, it looked like Tenet's lengthy runtime would cost it an opportunity to play in China (because of COVID restrictions), but the film's since been cleared to play in the country and will premiere there in September, essentially coinciding with the U.S. release.

Since the health crisis remains a fluid situation (particularly in the U.S., where cases have been on the rise), it's still not a guarantee Tenet will be able to meet its new release date. However, for the time being, Warner Bros. has to operate as if it will, which means it's time to rev up the Tenet marketing campaign in an attempt to draw audiences back to the theater. A new Tenet trailer has made its way online, and it provides a few more story details.

YouTube user Gavin Feng shared Tenet's Chinese trailer, which includes a message from director Christopher Nolan. The preview features some snippets of new footage, while further exploring Tenet's mysterious time inversion. Watch the trailer for yourself in the space below:



The biggest piece of information in the Tenet trailer is that it's the people (like John David Washington's Protagonist) who are inverted, but the world they inhabit is not. This can be illustrated by how the puddle of water reacts to Protagonist's foot as he walks across the ground. It's an important distinction to make, though there are still several questions about time inversion that remain. Even Tenet's actors were confused by the movie, so it will be interesting to see it all in action. Over the course of his career, Nolan's demonstrated a keen ability to craft intricate, mind-bending narratives that are also accessible to general moviegoers. Tenet looks to be cut from the same cloth, and having Protagonist (who receives a lot of exposition from other characters) serve as the audience conduit will hopefully make things more digestible for viewers.

Perhaps not so coincidentally, this latest bit of Tenet promotion comes short after Disney announcing Mulan will go straight to Disney+ in September. That move upset theater owners, who were hoping Mulan could provide a boost in business after theaters were hit hard by the coronavirus shutdowns. WB appears to be committed to releasing Tenet only in theaters (Nolan mentions "big screen" twice in his short message) and treat viewers to a stunning IMAX experience. On-paper, that sounds great, but it remains to be seen how many people are willing to go out to the theater - even to see a new Nolan movie. It's certainly a gamble on the studio's part, as Tenet cost $200 million to make, but they're doing their part to pull out all the stops in advertising.

RichardTheBruce

‘Tenet’ China Release Set For September 4; ‘Inception’
Reissue To Hit A Week Prior

See the complete article here:

https://deadline.com/2020/08/tenet-china-release-date-christopher-nolan-warner-bros-1203005951/

By Nancy Tartaglione
International Box Office Editor/Senior Contributor | @DeadlineNancy

Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated Tenet has been set for a September 4 release date in China. This will come on the heels of Warner Bros launching the event picture’s rollout in a host of offshore markets beginning on August 26 and in the U.S. in select cities on September 3.

As international box office has seen some strong play in recent weeks, there is clearly pent-up desire to go back to the movies, and particularly for fresh titles and films that pack a big screen punch. In the Middle Kingdom, box office rose steadily for the first two frame after cinemas reopened on July 20. This past weekend, a reissue of Nolan’s Interstellar set the biggest single day gross since Chinese turnstiles started up again.

As another taster for Tenet, Warners will also re-release Inception in the world’s second biggest market beginning August 28.

Tenet is an action epic evolving from the world of international espionage. Nolan wrote and directed the film, which was shot across seven countries and in IMAX. The international cast is led by John David Washington and includes Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, with Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh.

With Tenet‘s September 4 release date in the backdrop, here’s Nolan introducing the Chinese trailer:



Elsewhere, the first major swath of overseas Tenet openings on August 26 will include

Belgium,
Bulgaria,
Croatia,
Denmark,
Egypt,
Estonia,
Finland,
France,
Holland,
Hungary,
Iceland,
Indonesia,
Italy,
Korea,
Latvia,
Lithuania,
Portugal,
Serbia,
Slovakia,
Sweden,
Switzerland,
Turkey,
Ukraine,
and the UK,

followed by

Australia,
Austria,
Bahrain,
Canada,
Czech Republic,
Germany,
Greece,
Hong Kong,
Israel,
Lebanon,
Malaysia,
Middle East,
New Zealand,
Poland,
Saudi Arabia,
Singapore,
Taiwan,
Thailand,
United Arab Emirates

on Thursday August 27.

Then on Friday, August 28

East Africa,
Ghana,
Nigeria,
Norway,
Romania,
Slovenia,
Spain
and Vietnam will go.

Kuwait
and Qatar

are planning September 3;

Azerbaijan,
CIS Others,
Kazakhstan,
Russia

on September 10

with Japan

on September 18.

RogerJonMoorePertwee

Saw an advert for Tenet about an hour ago on TV with 'August 26' on screen at the end.

It's coming!

Convivial

I've been very mad lately about the fact that Tenet probably won't see a USA theatrical release. I've take some deep breaths and realize NTTD also will probably wind up being delivered on demand. So sad. Is this it? How did it cone to this? Is this as good as it gets! Its a hard time to be a movie buff.

RichardTheBruce

Mulan vs. Tenet: The two films facing
off for the future of cinema

See the complete article here:

https://newatlas.com/home-entertainment/mulan-tenet-future-cinema-theatrical-digital-disney-warner/

By Rich Haridy | August 06, 2020

Tenet will play in theaters around the world. Mulan will go direct to digital streaming. The success, or
failure, of these divergent strategies could determine the future of big Hollywood cinema

Two very different $200-million-dollar films. Two release strategies. Two pathways to the future. The theatrical film industry has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a pair of films could determine the fate of the definitive popular entertainment medium of the past century.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in March the film industry was immediately hit hard. Cinemas quickly shut, with no one able to predict when they would be able to safely open. Most big-budget Hollywood fare due to reach theaters over the US summer were swiftly rescheduled to the end of the year, or even 2021.

However, two films stubbornly refused to be pushed back: Disney’s Mulan and Warner Bros.’ Tenet. Mulan is another of Disney’s big budget live-action remakes of its animated properties, while Tenet is a new mind-bending thriller from director Christopher Nolan (Inception, The Dark Knight, Interstellar).

Over the past few months these two films have been playing a game of chicken with release dates. Disney originally pushed Mulan back from March to July, following Tenet. Then Warner Bros. pushed Tenet back a fortnight, and so the games began. No studio wanting to be the first to drop a massive blockbuster into a pandemic world, but both studios optimistically hoping the virus would wane allowing cinemas to start up again.

The Mulan/Tenet game of tag offered some hope to theaters aiming to reopen with a big cinematic drawcard to pull audiences in. But as the months passed it became increasingly clear cinemas would not be opening safely any time soon, at least in the United States. And even when cinemas do open, they will be profoundly different experiences with social distancing, PPE measures and reduced capacities to try and mitigate viral transmission.

Mulan Walt Disney Pictures

The theatrical path
Over the past week the paths of these two key films finally diverged. Warner Bros., looking at international territories slowly reopening their cinemas, decided to release Tenet around the world from August 26. From September 3, “select” cinemas in the United States will begin playing the film.

Although most American states currently allow indoor theaters to operate in some capacity, the lack of any new big film to pull the audiences back means most cinemas have remained closed. It's still unclear exactly where in the United States Tenet will play come September 3. Some estimates suggest around 80 percent of theaters in the country could technically play the film by early September, but it surely will be a controversial scenario considering the wild spread of the virus.

Releasing a hotly anticipated movie and compelling audiences to sit in enclosed spaces for several hours amidst the worst viral pandemic in over a century seems like a risky gambit. But cinemas around the country are already starting to go out of business, and without some kind of income soon the entire US theater industry could collapse.

Much remains unclear about how this unusual staggered international release will play out, but the line in the sand has been drawn. Warner Bros. will not delay Tenet’s release until next year, and it will certainly not debut it on a streaming service. The film’s director Christopher Nolan has long been a vocal advocate of theatrical exhibition, and some reports have suggested Nolan himself is responsible for the vociferous push to release this film sooner rather than later. The director reportedly sees the film as a lifeline for theaters struggling with indefinite closure.

Tenet Warner Bros.

The streaming path
Disney, on the other hand, seems done with attempts to get its big blockbuster into cinemas. Now, Mulan is set to get a worldwide streaming release on Disney Plus. From September 4 (coincidentally the same weekend as Tenet’s current US theatrical release) the film will be available for a US$30 fee in territories around the world with access to Disney Plus.

Of course, a large swathe of the world does not currently have access to Disney Plus, and many regions, including China, will still play the film in theaters. Nevertheless, Disney suggests it already has amassed more than 60 million global subscribers to its streaming service, so it would only need a small percentage of those subscribers to shell out the extra money for Mulan to make this unprecedented experiment financially worthwhile.

Both Tenet and Mulan cost over $200 million to produce. They are big investments for their respective studios, and big drawcards for cinemas, many of which have been shuttered for months. However, Hollywood economics are complicated, and it is often suggested a film needs to gross at least three times its production budget to at least break even.

You see, cinemas roughly take around 50 percent of every ticket sold for their own costs, while a studio’s advertising spend for a blockbuster often reaches numbers rivaling the film’s original production budget. Assuming both films would need a worldwide theatrical gross of over $600 million to come close to breaking even it is no surprise every big studio is postponing their major releases until the majority of cinemas around the world can open with something nearing normal capacity.

But digital releases are a different economy. Disney owns Disney Plus, and it will take 100 percent of every $30 payment people shell out to stream Mulan. So conceivably, if as little as 10 million people around the world shell out for a Mulan stream over the first few weeks of its release Disney could at least make its money back.

And if that happens, you can imagine how unhappy theaters will be…

The early experiment
Early in the pandemic Universal studios shifted its big animated family film Trolls World Tour from theaters to video on demand. For $20 families at home could watch the latest entry in this popular franchise. Within three weeks this novel strategy had made the studio an astounding $100 million, with no pesky 50/50 cut to theaters or large advertising spend.

AMC, the largest theater chain in the United States, quickly hit back banning all Universal films from its locations. The existential threat to the traditional theatrical business model was clear. If studios can produce films, release them digitally, and still make a profit, then who needs cinemas?

Since then AMC and Universal have come to an agreement, shrinking the traditional window of time theaters are allowed to exclusively play new films down from the traditional 90 days, to a remarkably short 17 days. This groundbreaking agreement, dismantling the extensive release window that privileged theaters for decades has not been taken kindly by other big theatrical chains in the country.

To assuage cinema owners concerns over this unusual Mulan digital strategy, Disney's CEO recently stressed the release is a "one-off" and not a new business model. The studio's next big Marvel movie, Black Widow, is still scheduled for a theatrical release in November (after initially having its May release canceled).

At least, that's the plan for now ...

Mulan Walt Disney Pictures

The crossroads
So now the entire film industry is at a crossroads. Cinemas across the United States are still mostly closed, and realistically unlikely to open any time soon. Around the world, many regions have reopened cinemas, albeit with majorly reduced capacities. Sporadic viral spikes in different countries over the coming months will inevitably mean many cinemas currently open could close at a moment's notice. So even if Tenet does begin to play around the world later in August it is impossible to predict where it will play, and how much money it could make. Mulan’s fate, on the other hand, is much clearer. It will be available to watch at home for all Americans from early September.

Everyone in Hollywood will surely be watching the fate of these two release strategies over the next six weeks. This is about more than whether a massive Hollywood studio will lose a few dollars on a big budget movie. It is about the future of cinema, the medium that defined popular culture for most of the 20th century.

Theatrical exhibition will surely continue to exist no matter how this all plays out. People will always want the experience of watching a movie on a giant screen in a big cinema with a boisterous audience. But the primacy of that medium may be dying in front of our eyes, and cinema operators around the world are realizing that a film playing in theaters may no longer be the number one revenue raiser for a studio in the future.

Will theaters survive the 2020 pandemic? Not all of them, but some will. Either way, come 2021, things will certainly look very, very different. The film industry is at a crossroads. And whichever way things turn out, it will hinge on the success or failure of two very different films, and two very different release strategies.

RichardTheBruce

Spyscape: The Tenet Conundrum

RichardTheBruce

Why 'Tenet's'
staggered rollout
could be a risky
move as on-
demand movies
soar

See the complete article here:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-tenets-staggered-rollout-plan-could-be-a-risky-move-amid-ondemand-boom-133823714.html

Alexandra Canal
Producer
Yahoo FinanceAugust 8, 2020

Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has officially selected its China theatrical release date.

The movie will debut in China on September 4 following an international rollout that will begin August 26, before hitting select U.S. theaters on September 3.

Although not unprecedented, the staggered rollout is a risky move for the $200 million tentpole. Piracy and spoiler risks remain top of mind, with the majority of U.S. theaters still in lockdown-mode.

But R. Riley FBR analyst Eric Wold recently noted that “a perfect date may never arrive for studios to release films under the traditional day-and-date model.”

He added that it supports the notion that a gradual “Tenet” release plan “would allow for the studio to begin monetizing the film theatrically in a way that would not [cannibalize] potential box office revenues, and help to build buzz for when the film opens into other markets.”

Still, a staggered rollout directly contradicts the decision made by fellow blockbusters like Disney’s live-action “Mulan” (DIS) and NBCUniversal’s “Trolls World Tour” (CMCSA). Both media giants opted to skip the theatrical experience entirely, and go directly on-demand.

On Disney's second quarter earnings call, the company announced that “Mulan” will head straight to streamer Disney+ as a premium video on demand (PVOD). The offering will cost Disney + subscribers $30, and will be available on September 4th.

If successful, Disney could see a sizable return on revenue as it would retain 100% of the PVOD profits, as opposed to the 60/40 split that typically occurs when a studio film is released in the theater.

Disney's live-action "Mulan" will bypass the theatrical experience and head straight to
Disney+ on September 4 as a premium video on demand offering

Meanwhile, “Trolls World Tour,” the industry’s first surprise digital success story during the coronavirus outbreak, nabbed nearly $100 million in on-demand sales for NBCUniversal during its first three weeks. The streaming win has since created a ravenous on-demand appetite for other production houses eager to earn money on stalled releases.

However, an on-demand release never seemed to be in the cards for “Tenet,” as director Christopher Nolan has maintained his position that the sci-fi thriller needs a theatrical debut.

“Tenet” director Christopher Nolan has maintained his position
that the sci-fi thriller needs a theatrical debut

“Chris really would like to be coming out with the film that opens theaters,” IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said on the company's Q1 earnings call back in April (IMAX). “I don’t know anyone in America who is pushing harder to get the theaters re-opened and to get his movie released than Chris Nolan.”

And it looks like international markets agree.

Over this past weekend, China saw its largest single-day gross since reopening after the re-release of Nolan’s “Interstellar.” The surge is prompting other titles like “Little Women” to also lock in China re-release dates as theaters get back on their feet.

In what seems like optimistic news for the U.S., AMC (AMC) announced that it expects to open two-thirds or more of its U.S. theaters in August. The stock surged on the news despite the company’s disastrous quarterly earnings results, which saw revenue decline 99%.

MakeshiftPython

Convivial wrote: »

I've been very mad lately about the fact that Tenet probably won't see a USA theatrical release. I've take some deep breaths and realize NTTD also will probably wind up being delivered on demand. So sad. Is this it? How did it cone to this? Is this as good as it gets! Its a hard time to be a movie buff.

I think Americans have proven to be too utterly lazy and self centered to be able to combat the virus. Not willing to be patient or make hard choices.

RichardTheBruce

Milwaukee movie theaters try to
hang on, hoping safety measures,
and 'Tenet,' bring back audiences

See the complete article here:

https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/movies/2020/08/07/movie-theaters-hope-safety-measures-and-tenet-bring-back-audiences/5530220002/

Chris Foran | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | August 7, 2020

Last weekend, the Rivoli Theatre, the 234-seat community movie theater in Cedarburg, pulled in more than 30 people on average for its showings of the Alfred Hitchcock classic "North by Northwest."

Things are looking up.
"Three weeks ago, we were getting 10 people (for screenings). Last week, we were in the 20s," said Jerry Voigt, who with his wife, Alice, manages the Rivoli, the 84-year-old theater at W62-N567 Washington Ave.

The Rivoli is one of just five indoor theaters that reopened in the Milwaukee area in the months after everything shut down as part of the effort to rein in the coronavirus pandemic.

For the movie theaters that have reopened, it's been a scramble to get over two huge hurdles: convincing moviegoers it's safe to come back, and getting big movies that stoke audiences' interest.

They've been working on the former, but waiting on Hollywood for the latter. Now they're hoping the wait is almost over.

Marcus Theatres, the nation's fourth-largest theater chain and the biggest in Wisconsin, is looking to reopen more locations later this month. Two new movies, the road-rage drama "Unhinged" and teen romance "Words on Bathroom Walls," open nationwide Aug. 21, so that date could be a target. But the chain hasn't locked in exact dates yet.

"We're heavily dependent on what the states and cities" will allow, said Rolando Rodriguez, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres, citing capacity limits, which are based on reopening plans determined locally. In the Milwaukee area, most reopening plans allow for up to 50% capacity, assuming other guidelines, from social distancing to mask-wearing, are in place.

A summer without blockbusters
Marcus and other theater operators are also dependent on what's available for them to show.

With theaters closed everywhere, movie studios pulled nearly all of the summer's movies off the calendar, nudging Wonder Woman, James Bond, Black Widow and the other anticipated blockbuster heroes into the fall, or even 2021, for a better chance to reach large audiences.

So theaters have been left with a mix of familiar blockbusters, kids movies and some recent horror titles. They've been charging $5 (or less), hoping to attract people who have lost interest in watching movies on smaller screens and show them the safety precautions they have been putting in place.

But theaters can't live on nostalgia alone.
"It's not the type of business that we were doing with first-run films," Rodriguez said. "The nostalgic product obviously has a limited audience. … (But) we've been very fortunate that (studios) have opened up the vaults."

In June, Marcus reopened six theaters, including four in Wisconsin, to hone safety practices and show patrons it was safe to come back to the movies. The company also opened pop-up drive-ins in five locations, including the Majestic Cinema in Brookfield and the South Shore in Oak Creek.

Drive-in moviegoers line up for Parking Lot Cinema night at Marcus Majestic Cinema in Brookfield on May 29. The pop-up drive-in, Marcus Theatres' first in the area, was one of the experiments the chain tried to keep people interested in movie-going during the pandemic.

Rodriguez said most of Marcus' safety measures "worked extremely well," from an emphasis on low-contact transactions to limited seating for more social distancing.

Marcus improved a few things along the way, he said, like making masks mandatory. Theaters have an employee at the front door ready to explain procedures, and give out free masks if necessary.

So far, Rodriguez said, there's been "very little push-back, for the most part."

The pop-up drive-ins, opened in late May, were another experiment, to tap into a rush of interest nationwide in doing something, anything, that wasn't at home.

However, since then, Marcus has trimmed the number of drive-ins to two; the Majestic's is still running, albeit on a reduced schedule. "We've had some very good success with them … (but) more entertainment options have opened up" since, Rodriguez said.

This week, Marcus also closed two of its six indoor theaters, including the Bistroplex at Southridge Mall in Greendale and Renaissance Cinema in Sturtevant.
https://www.facebook.com/SRBistroplex/photos/a.1549751518402527/3427577907286536/?type=3

Waiting for 'Tenet'
Still, Rodriguez is optimistic it'll start turning around, because of one word: "Tenet."

"Tenet," the time-bending thriller from "Dark Knight" director Christopher Nolan, had been one of the most anticipated movies of the summer before COVID-19.

Early on, Nolan and the movie's distributor, Warner Bros., committed to opening "Tenet" in theaters. But the lack of available theaters in most of the country forced them to push it back — from July 17, to July 31, to Aug. 12, to "indefinitely," and, finally to Sept. 3, in "select" cities.



"Tenet" finally setting a date, Rodriguez said, means all those other movies that have been melting off the calendar can stake their own spots — and theaters will know what they have to show.

"Once 'Tenet' put that stick in the ground, we were excited to get (theaters) back open," he said.

In Cedarburg, shifting to classics
In Cedarburg, the Rivoli reopened June 26, showing second-run movies as it has since it reopened as a community-based theater at the end of 2006. But because there haven't been first-run movies since early March, the Voigts' options have been limited, too.

So have the audiences.

"There's no way we could stay in business running 'Sonic (the Hedgehog)'," Jerry Voigt said.

So last week, the Rivoli switched from budget repeats to classic movies. Future titles include "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Casablanca" and "Brooklyn."

Like other theaters that reopened, the Rivoli has safety measures in place. Masks are required in the theater's lobby; the seats are empty every other row, and when a group buys tickets, two seats (or the aisle) are held back to promote appropriate distancing.

"The people who have been coming to the Rivoli, none have been complaining about their safety," Voigt said. "People are comfortable because everybody's masked up."

If ticket sales stay where they've been lately, with additional advertising revenue starting in the fall, "I think we can make it till next year," Voigt said.

Fox-Bay Cinema Grill, 334 E. Silver Spring in Whitefish Bay, was the first theater in the Milwaukee area to reopen, on May 27. Like the others, it has been showing older favorites, although it was the only local theater to show "Irresistible," Jon Stewart's new political comedy set in Wisconsin.

Last week, the theater, which also jumped in early selling food for curbside pickup, made a plea to followers on social media.

"To our wonderful Fox-Bay Patrons … reaching out in an attempt to convince you, your family and friends to come and see a movie in our theaters or order carry out from our curbside service. Survival for all hospitality establishments is paramount so that when this situation is over, we are still in existence."

https://www.facebook.com/FoxBayCinemaGrill/?ref=nf&hc_ref=ARRoJMYT5MVnCqELI1qzBWfWYESvV5L2n1NOXyslUjxxa73cOcxmukEQZi0KQXOyFCg

The July 27 post sparked a flood of good wishes from followers.

The owner of the Fox-Bay didn't respond to requests for an interview. But the theater's Facebook page has several subsequent posts thanking patrons for the rush of business.
'Will it be enough? You don't know'

Like Fox-Bay, the Avalon Theater, 2473 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., has been promoting curbside snacks and meals, from the kitchen at the adjacent Mistral. But the movie theater has not reopened — and won't, until those new movies actually show up.

"Until we absolutely know there's content that we're proud to show, we're probably going to stay closed," said Lee Barczak, who with his wife, Jane Schilz, owns the Avalon, part of the Neighborhood Theatre Group.

Barczak said they have worked out safety practices, from social distancing to switching over to a reserved-seat ticketing system. Initially, he said, the Avalon would only be open Wednesdays through Sundays. He's not sure it'll be enough.

In mid-July, they sent surveys to members of Neighborhood Theatre Group's email lists; of the more than 500 people who responded, only 20% said they were ready to sit inside a movie theater.

"You've got to get people to feel comfortable," Barczak said of efforts to make movie-going feel safe. " … Will it be enough? You don't know."

But there's no point in reopening, Barczak added, without high-profile new movies leading people to the door. He sounded skeptical that "Tenet" would open Sept. 3. Earlier this week, the summer's other remaining blockbuster-in-waiting, "Mulan," was shifted from a theatrical release to streaming on Disney Plus.

"Without any content, it will be really hard for us to reopen," he said.

Marcus' Rodriguez was more confident that "Tenet" would stick to its latest opening date. But whatever happens, he added, the procedures Marcus and other theater owners have put in place will remain.

"There'll be certain things that will live well beyond" the pandemic, he said. "The virus has really changed our psyches."

Dragonpol

Convivial wrote: »

I've been very mad lately about the fact that Tenet probably won't see a USA theatrical release. I've take some deep breaths and realize NTTD also will probably wind up being delivered on demand. So sad. Is this it? How did it cone to this? Is this as good as it gets! Its a hard time to be a movie buff.

Joint tenancy.

Convivial

What

Dragonpol

Convivial wrote: »

What

It's merely a play on words. Nothing sinister.

antovolk

For anyone else in or around London hesitant to risk it in an indoor cinema... (Don't even need a car, front two rows are for pedestrians/cyclists!)

https://twitter.com/TheDriveInLDN/status/1293238131588767745

RichardTheBruce

A local theater here in Northern Virginia outside Washington DC promises ticket sales soon--14 August.

Inception re-release 21 August. Tenet opens 3 September.

Regal Kingstowne ScreenX & RPX

Theatre Reopening

Theatre opens Friday, August 21. Tickets are available to purchase starting Friday, August 14.

Then there is this.

UK Cinemas Begin Selling Tickets For ‘Tenet’; Vue To
Reopen All Sites In Time For Nolan Pic

See the complete article here:

https://deadline.com/2020/08/uk-cinemas-selling-tickets-tenet-vue-re-open-all-sites-1203010177/

By Tom Grater, International Film Reporter | @tomsmovies | August 11, 2020 4:00pm

Warner Bros.

UK cinemas have officially begun selling tickets for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, as of midnight today local time.

The movie is being heralded as the saviour of the big screen and exhibitors have nervously been monitoring the situation following several dates shifts which have seen it move later and later in the summer as the pandemic continues to disrupt the entire film ecosystem.

However, Warner looks to have settled on an international-led roll out commencing August 26 in select territories including the UK.

Vue, the country’s third-largest exhibitor, has confirmed that it will re-open all of its UK real estate in time for the Nolan movie. The company began re-opening sites from July 31 and has 10 operating to date; it has 91 in total. Fellow multiplexes Cineworld and Odeon have also been taking a phased approach, while more indies are also opening up in the coming weeks.

Tenet arriving will be salve to the deep wounds left by the pandemic closures, particularly after Disney’s decision to take Mulan directly onto Disney+ in major territories.

Also offering some cause for optimism was this week’s news that the Paramount Decrees will be repealed, potentially paving the way for a studio to take over a chain while they are at a low ebb; shares of Cineworld, which owns U.S. chain Regal, jumped 30% on the news this week.

Mallory

I just booked my ticket for opening night (Weds 26th) in IMAX. Exciting times. I hope this is safe enough and successful enough to start a wave of other films to be released.

antovolk

https://twitter.com/Adam_Khan100/status/1293473055054999552

New posters

DaltonCraig007

That poster with the hazmat suit looks like a poster for a Halo movie adaptation.

antovolk

CraigMooreOHMSS

antovolk wrote: »

https://twitter.com/Adam_Khan100/status/1293473055054999552

New posters

Very fitting for the times we live in.

DaltonCraig007

@CraigMooreOHMSS Liam Neeson is the original, though. ;-)

RogerJonMoorePertwee

Just booked 2 tickets for opening night (Wednesday 26th) as well (early evening)! Really looking forward to it now. 😁

Pierce2Daniel

Got my tickets for the 4pm on 27/08 showing at the BFI IMAX in Waterloo. It'll be my first visit to a proper IMAX - and I'm really excited!

I figured that the folk going to the BFI IMAX would all be that bit more enthusiastic about Tenet and, therefore, more responsible than usual multiplex crowds. I'm so very hyped for this movie.

I'm interested in how they will market this over the next 2 weeks. Are we getting press interviews @antovolk ???

Also, these just released posters of R-Pattz in full action-movie guise make me a little gutted that he won't be the next Bond.....Can we still have him, Barbara?

4EverBonded

https://twitter.com/MarshallJulius/status/1293504418655109120

So this is really happening. :) My theatre date is Sept. 18th ... and I may go (only a MAYBE) depending upon what precautions the theatre takes. Regular theatre, no way - but usually high profile films are shown in a special, lounge-seat, well spaced theatre anyway and if they can make sure seating is spaced out, I will consider it. Not decided yet. Of course wearing face mask and I won't eat or drink during, even if that is allowed (I don't think it will be).

I risk my life 5 x a week teaching as it is. Just fyi, I wear two face masks when giving lessons, and just one the rest of the day. The two I choose provide total coverage when combined, no gaps. So yeah, I want to see this film on the big screen. I can take a pass if I am not really comfortable with precautions. I just have to look into it.

FoxRox

Jealous Tenet is coming ahead of NTTD (which will probably delay again if Tenet doesn’t perform well enough), but still happy to see the ball rolling again for theaters. I might go see this, as it looks pretty intriguing. I also already put myself at risk anyway going to work and soon college again, so going to the theater isn’t something that bothers me as long as people still wear masks and have separation in seats and all that stuff.

RichardTheBruce

‘Tenet’ Fever Grips U.K., Claiming Over
Half of Ticket Sales for Vue Cinema
Chain (EXCLUSIVE)

See the complete article here:

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/tenet-fever-christopher-nolan-vue-cinemas-ticket-sales-1234732897/

Naman Ramachandran | August 12, 2020

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture

Come Aug. 26, virtually all roads in the lucrative U.K. and Ireland cinema market lead to Warner Bros.’ “Tenet.” In most of the countries’ cinemas on that date, you can watch any movie — just as long as it’s “Tenet.”

At the Omnimax cinema in Limerick, Ireland, customers can choose from 19 showtimes for Christopher Nolan’s keenly awaited and thrice postponed magnum opus. Over at the Cineworld in Wolverhampton, England, audiences have a choice of 29 “Tenet” shows on Aug. 26, while the Odeon in Cardiff, Wales, offers 16 shows, and the Vue Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, Scotland, has 19.

For European cinema giant Vue, which opened ticket sales for “Tenet” at midnight on Tuesday, the film so far accounts for 60% of tickets sold in the U.K. on Wednesday. Vue CEO Tim Richards tells Variety that those numbers are only bound to get bigger.

“You’re going to see a slow start and then it’s going to pick up very, very quickly in the week before release [as more venues open],” says Richards. Vue has 91 cinemas in the U.K. and Ireland, and all but two, which are being refurbished, are set to open in time for “Tenet.”

“Tenet’s” arrival is a welcome boon for a territory deprived of blockbuster entertainment, and which acutely felt the sting of Disney’s game-changing premium VOD play for “Mulan.” Films such as Russell Crowe thriller “Unhinged” have propped up the U.K. box office, grossing $231,871 to date, but the market has been desperate for a tentpole to lure back audiences.

“We had bought tickets for ‘Unhinged,’ but decided to skip the trip to Cineworld [at] The O2, as many restaurants on the premises weren’t open to make a day of it, and we felt it was a film we could easily wait for, and watch on our TV screen or laptop,” Ashanti Omkar, presenter on the BBC Asian Network, and Akin Aworan, her husband, told Variety.

“‘Tenet’ on the other hand, was the biggie we were waiting to watch on the Superscreen at The O2, which is one of Europe’s widest screens. And this film is one that Christopher Nolan intended to be seen on the big screen,” said Omkar and Aworan.

The key words here are Christopher Nolan, who remains a huge box office draw in his home country. His 2010 mindbender “Inception,” for example, now on its 10th anniversary release in the U.K., collected $56.5 million on its original release, while 2017’s “Dunkirk” grossed $80.8 million in the territory.

For many local fans, “Tenet” will be their first cinema trip since lockdown ended, and its director is the sole reason to return.

“His ability to place the audience in the centre of the spectacle that his worlds create means that his movies demand to be seen in a true cinematic environment,” says fan Cameron Longer, who will be watching “Tenet” at the Cineworld IMAX in Watford. “For me, only a filmmaker with the sense of grandeur and vision of Nolan would be able to convince me to get back into the cinema.”

Nolan’s draw also helps override health and safety concerns in some cases. Christina Tencheva has booked to watch “Tenet” at London’s BFI IMAX, which is operated by Odeon. The film is “probably the only one I’m willing to take a risk for, and if I’m satisfied with the cinema safety, I’ll go to others,” says Tencheva.

Others are not so sanguine. The U.K. theater industry remains shut, at least until September, due to social distancing concerns. Stage director Alex Packer, whose credits include “13” and “Ballistic,” tweeted: “Would love to see IMAX TENET. BFI ticket cost: £23.75 Congestion charge £15 Parking approx: £15 Plus not a single bit of info on ODEON website about safety precautions or distanced seating. Nothing at all. Like everything’s normal. So all in all: No. Just No. Sadly.”

Odeon does, however, list a safety statement on its BFI IMAX website that reads: “We are delighted to announce this ODEON will reopen its doors from 21st August, and you can book tickets now. We have made lots of changes to create a new safer cinema experience for you, and we look forward to welcoming you back.” Further navigation leads to the full set of safety measures.

“I’m just totally surprised and frustrated that the venues that are allowed to be opening, especially something as high and relevant and [exciting] and all of that, is feeling very, very unprepared and shoddy,” Packer told Variety.

Other fans have a different perspective about the cinema experience. Jacob Cakes, who is watching the film at the Vue in Scunthorpe, said, “The manager of my theater has noted that the correct measures have been put in place to make it as safe as possible. Limited rows [and] seats, cleaning equipment, enforcing masks to be worn, etc.”

Overall, the mood is one of unbridled excitement. “We have been looking forward to ‘Tenet’ as we are all big Nolan fans and we can’t wait to experience the thrill of watching a new film in the cinema again,” fan Chloe Fanning told Variety.

Jacob Chatwin, meanwhile, is watching “Tenet” on opening day at one of Cineworld Birmingham’s IMAX screens — a trip he’s been waiting for ever since he clocked a preview for the film ahead of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” last Christmas.

“There is no other director like him,” said Chatwin solemnly. “You simply have to watch his films on the big screen — where they belong.”