Christopher Nolan - Appreciation Thread

4EverBonded · August 2020

OK, my theatre does not list Tenet yet at all. This is in western Japan.
It DOES have No Time To Die as November 19th.

I just read their update on precautions.
Air filtered meets "standard of the law". Does not say HEPA. Just that wording. I would have to get more info on that.

And the kicker is: They will allow food and drink - and that seals it for me not to go.

People will be removing masks to eat and drink, of course. They also did not say seats will be sold with an empty seat between people.

I will reconsider to see NTTD if it does stick to that schedule. I think EON is of course going to see how well Tenet does rolling out during a pandemic.

I will reassess for NTTD, yes. A lot can change by Nov. 19th. Bond is the one I want to see on the big screen, out of all of them. Tenet would have been amazing for me to see on the big screen, but will I risk my life twice? Or just once, for Bond. It all depends upon the virus in our city and the theatre's precautions.

So where I stand now is: If I can get a seat with the back walkway behind me (so nobody sitting behind me) and nobody sitting next to me (I really doubt that will happen unless they change their current policy) I would probably risk it, being the air filtering my only concern for a 2 1/2 hr or so film. And I still think I would only risk it for Bond.

I'll update you if anything changes. Again, Tenet not listed yet.

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

I have booked my tickets for Tenet for Monday evening (August 24th). Finally a new major Hollywood release.

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

12 New Tenet Posters Arrive, Australia Will Be
First to Get Preview Screenings

See the complete article here:

https://movieweb.com/tenet-posters-australia-preview-screenings/

Christopher Nolan's Tenet was already supposed to have come out, but a public health
crisis had other plans.
Kevin Burwick — August 12, 2020 in Movie News

Australia will see Christopher Nolan's Tenet ahead of most of the world. In addition, Warner Bros. has released 12 new posters to raise excitement for the upcoming thriller. The long-awaited movie was supposed to have already opened in theaters, but a public health crisis had other plans for Nolan's latest opus, which he claims has fewer VFX shots than a lot of movies out there today. "The visual side of the film is huge in scale, but our VFX shot count is probably lower than most romantic comedies," the director said.

Lucky moviegoers in Australia will be able to see Tenet on August 22nd and August 23rd. The movie doesn't open up for wide release until August 27th in the area. 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 U.K. will get Tenet on August 26th. While this is great news for Australians, it's not good for people who live in Victoria, which has just seen a huge spike in cases. The government announced a state of disaster at the beginning of August.
RELATED:
Tenet Has Less VFX Shots Than Most Romantic Comedies

Tenet will be released in Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel, Lebanon, Malaysia, Middle East, New Zealand, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates on August 27th. East Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Vietnam will receive the movie on the 28th, while the United States, Kuwait, and Qatar will be able to see the movie on September 3rd. Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan have no intention of releasing the movie digitally at this time.

The latest Tenet posters features star John David Washington and his supporting cast, along with a tagline that states: "Only in Theaters." Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan aren't pulling any punches with that kind of marketing. With that being said, it's unclear if the majority of movie theaters in North America will even be able to open in a few weeks. As it stands, it doesn't look like movie theaters will open until next year at the earliest, though that has yet to be proven. Even if theaters are able to open back up again, it's unclear if people will be into sitting in a theater.

In addition to the Tenet excitement, it is believed that Warner Bros. will also debut the first trailer for Dennis Villeneuve's Dune in front of the Christopher Nolan project. Frank Herbert fans have been waiting for the right director to step up and make the right adaptation, so there are a lot of eyes on Villeneuve. Some Herbert fans are even going to see Tenet just to get a glimpse at Dune. The latest Tenet release news was originally reported by Variety. You can check out the new poster for the long-awaited movie below.

Tenet Poster #1

Tenet Poster #2

Tenet Poster #3

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Tenet Poster #6

Tenet Poster #7

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Tenet Poster #11

Tenet Poster #12

ab0b7fe26b7b6e30689b4cead5e2bb39750d8a3b.gifv

GadgetMan · August 2020

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

We hope for the Best.

BonSimonLeBon_1 · August 2020

Bought my ticket, only one so far booked for the 8pm viewing on the 26th at my local Vue.

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

The review embargo for Tenet will be lifted on August 21st (next Friday).

4EverBonded · August 2020

I don't want spoilers, but I do want to know if most reviews are positive. It looks like I will not see it in person, but I'll have to wait and buy the DVD asap. Sigh ...

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

4EverBonded wrote: »

OK, my theatre does not list Tenet yet at all. This is in western Japan.
It DOES have No Time To Die as November 19th.

That's an amazingly early release date for Japan, @4EverBonded. Normally it's a month or even 2 after the original release.

I hope the current state and protective measures in place in November make things possible for you on November 19th, all best.

4EverBonded · August 2020

I have been here for several years now and had to wait 3 weeks to see Spectre here and was off the forum entirely during that time. I saw it pretty much unspoiled. Same for Skyfall (still one of my favorites).

However ... it is likely to be moved, I think. I think EON will watch carefully how well Tenet does. If NTTD stays in place, I will have to make a decision before tickets go on sale. Thanks for your good wishes. It will not be an easy decision.

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

Hardly a day after I booked my tickets for Tenet, it already seems possible that I will have to cancel them.

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

Tenet Is Already Dominating the UK Box
Office

See the complete article here:

https://screenrant.com/tenet-movie-uk-box-office-ticket-sales-performance/

Tenet, the upcoming Christopher Nolan-directed blockbuster feature, is already making a huge splash with box office ticket sales in the U.K.
By EJ. Offurum 21 hour ago

Elizabeth Debicki in Tenet

Tenet is already dominating the U.K. box office. The upcoming spy movie is one of the most highly anticipated films of not only the summer, but all of 2020. Tenet is written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan, the filmmaker behind the Oscar-winning movies Dunkirk and Inception. It stars John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman), Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) and Michael Caine (The Dark Knight Rises). Considering Tenet's huge stars and top creative talent, as well as its mind-bending visuals custom made for the big screen, Tenet is widely considered the theatrical experience not to be missed.

Unfortunately, that's exactly what will happen in some parts of the U.S. Originally slated to open July 17, Tenet's release was postponed multiple times due to the coronavirus pandemic necessitating shutdowns of movie theaters the world over. Though it will only open in select cities in the United States on September 3, other countries, where the virus is more under control, will see the movie this month. The U.K. is on the list, with moviegoers able to check out Tenet when it releases August 26.

As reported by Variety, tickets sales for Tenet went live this past Tuesday at midnight for one of Europe's largest cinema chains, Vue. Tenet was responsible for 60% of tickets sold by the company Wednesday, showing how excited audiences in the U.K. are for Tenet. The Vue Ocean Terminal theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland will itself be boasting 19 showtimes for the film on opening day, while other theaters around the U.K., like the Cineworld in Wolverhampton, England, will feature a whopping 29. What's more, Vue CEO Tim Richards predicts it's only the beginning, as sales are "going to pick up very, very quickly in the week before release," citing more cinemas reopening.

Robert Pattinson in Tenet

Some of the fervor over Tenet can be attributed to British-American Nolan, whose films have a track record of historically strong performances in the U.K., as well as in the U.S. However, it's far more likely the idea of finally seeing a highly-anticipated film in the theater again is what's driving early ticket sales. Even in places where theaters have already been open for a little while, there haven't been any major releases on the scale of Tenet. Plus, before the coronavirus hit, the movie was already one of 2020's most exciting releases.

It also helps Tenet is one of very few films to have a theatrical release in the next couple of months. In the wake of the pandemic, many studios wound up biting the bullet and decided to release some of their features, including Trolls World Tour, Scoob!, and the recently announced Mulan, via on-demand services and various streaming sites. However, some films are simply built for the big screen viewing experience – an idea Nolan agrees with – and many fans wouldn’t want to watch them any other way. With the buzz, stars, and creative power already behind the visually driven Tenet, viewers in the U.K. are seemingly intent on flocking to theaters in order to check it out.

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

Montreal Readies for ‘Tenet’ Release
With COVID Protocols in Mind

See the complete article here:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tenet-screening-canada-guzzo-cinema-1234733684/

By Jazz Tangcay

Melinda Sue Gordon

Quebec has been the Canadian province hardest-hit by COVID-19, but unlike in California and New York, cinemas were allowed to open in Montreal starting on July 3.

Vince Guzzo, president and CEO of Cinémas Guzzo, has been eagerly awaiting the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” Guzzo has 10 multiplexes in the greater Montreal area, but there hasn’t been much new product to screen.

“All of a sudden, I’m losing more money than when I was shut,” Guzzo says. Pre-COVID, he was open seven days a week with five shows a day, and that hasn’t changed.

In the interim, as Guzzo waits for his big studio releases, he has been showcasing animated films, mainly from France. He also found small horror films like “The Parish” which have brought in some revenue, but none like “Mulan” or “Tenet” or the Hollywood summer blockbusters would have in a normal summer.

With “Mulan” going to Disney Plus, Guzzo conjectures, “The fact that the film moved, there’s a lot to say about what they [Disney] thinks of the movie.”

But Guzzo is ready for “Tenet” to open on Aug. 27 across his 151 screens. COVID guidelines mean cinemagoers have to wear a mask in the mall, but once they are inside the auditorium, there is no obligation. “They can have popcorn, soda and eat whatever they want. If they get up and go to the bathroom, they have to put a mask on.”

In terms of safe seating and social distancing, his rows are 48 inches apart. “People can sit in every row, but you’ve got to be two seats away from any family cluster that isn’t yours.”

Theaters are limited to 50 people per auditorium. “That meant our smaller auditoriums were at 50% capacity and the larger ones were at 12%,” he says.

Guzzo plans to blow out “Tenet” across as many screens as possible. “In an 18-screen complex, I would typically have a film like that on two IMAX screens. Two French screens and two English screens — so six in total. For “Tenet,” I may go up to nine screens. Or 12.”

He also intends to space out screenings, not just to disinfect the auditorium [by electro-statically cleaning them], but to avoid crowds in the lobby.

Furthermore, he hopes to draw audiences in with films like “Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge on the Run” and “Unhinged” starring Russell Crowe. “That’s very significant,” Guzzo points out of the advantage Canada will have over the United States when it comes to certain titles. “It’s a great achievement that we’ve been able to have a conversation with Warner Bros. and Paramount and have them release those titles in Canada first. It means one doesn’t prevent the other from releasing pictures.”

If the uncertainty of the pandemic persists, Guzzo foresees it becoming the norm where other countries will see a movie ahead of the United States. “But, only on the big titles. I don’t see that happening for so-so titles. If the film is going to be destroyed by critics, I think the studios will avoid giving the movie to people and countries ahead of time.”

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

‘Tenet’ Will Have Sneak Previews in the
U.S., Starting August 31

See the complete article here:

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-sneak-previews-august-31-1234579466/

Christopher Nolan's film should face extraordinary demand,
especially if the sneaks are limited to once-nightly screenings.
Tom Brueggemann | Aug 12, 2020 1:27 pm

Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” will show in some locations beginning Monday, August 31 for three nights, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune and another source, in advance of its September 3 release. The article also confirmed that Chicago’s Music Box Theater will play the film in 70mm for its engagement. That theater was one of just five in North America to show “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” in 70mm.

The August 31 debut would mean that some U.S. audiences could start seeing the film a few days after its initial international release date of Wednesday, August 26. Warner Bros. did not respond to calls seeking comment. While Nolan has made clear his preference for large-format screens such as 70mm and IMAX, Warners would face a challenging sneaks environment even without format restrictions.

Multiple major areas are not yet cleared for theater reopenings, including much of New York state, California, and some of Arizona; North Carolina will not open until September 11. The Tribune reported that “Tenet” previews would be once per night, which could mean unprecedented demand for very few seats given distancing requirements and auditorium restrictions. For example, COVID-19 restrictions mean that indoor Chicago theaters are restricted to 50 people per theater or 50 percent of space capacity, per auditorium. With once-nightly showings, that makes for a very bespoke preview.

The Music Box website, which links to the Tribune article, has not begun to sell “Tenet” tickets. However, it is selling tickets for “Inception” in 70mm. Advance tickets for August 26 openings went on sale in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Note: After publication, a Warner Bros. representative responded: “We’ve only announced 9/3 at this stage.”

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

‘Tenet’ Tickets Go on Sale Friday,
August 21 — Exclusive

Theaters that play “Tenet” must agree to pay Warner Bros. 63 percent of the
gross, and to uphold mask-wearing safety standards.

See the complete article here:

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/tenet-tickets-on-sale-august-21-1234580302/

Tom Brueggemann | August 16, 2020

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

Advance ticket sales for Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” begin this Friday, August 21, for three days of sneak previews that start Monday, August 31.

Tickets for regular engagements, which start Thursday, September 3, will be available Thursday, August 27.

These are some of the “Tenet” contract details that Warner Bros. sent to exhibitors, obtained by IndieWire. As IndieWire reported last week, limited advance showings of “Tenet” will be offered for three days prior to September 3. According to the contract, theaters can have one showing per night, no earlier than 5 p.m. Those theaters that screen in premium formats may offer a second show.

To participate in “TTenetenet,” theaters must agree not only to follow local laws, but also to comply with the not-yet-published but already disseminated safety standards drafted by the National Association of Theater Owners. These include wearing a face mask anywhere in a theater, with the exception of when consuming concessions.

The email notes: “These special terms are being offered to its exhibitor customers specifically for ‘Tenet’ to address the special circumstances in the market… including the high commercial risk from uncertain consumer demand, reopening rules, health and safety regulations, and socially distancing capacity issues.”

As a sign of the times, the first section deals with health issues: “Exhibitor specifically represents and warrants to Warner that it shall comply at all times with all applicable laws and regulations at its theater(s), including without limitation, all laws, orders and standards relating public health and safety, such as rules and protective measures against the contraction and spread of COVID-19 or other illnesses and applicable voluntary health and safety measures and protocols regarding these matters as may be promulgated by the exhibition industry, such as NATO’s published health and safety protocols.”

In addition, Warners also tells theaters they need to provide on-demand information about the theaters’ reopening activities and consumer messaging.

For film rental, Warner Bros. is asking for 63 percent for all weeks of the engagement. That is at the high end, and its inclusion is significant because it varies from some deals in which top chains have preset expectations for how much they will pay based on total domestic gross. Though what the studio asks can be subject to negotiation, Warners holds the upper hand. For top titles like this one, normal practice is all theaters receive the same template.

Exhibitors might recoil at 63 percent, a near-record high for film rentals. However, Warners is taking an empirical risk as the first major studio to lead the return to theaters – especially when the pandemic means it faces a box office significantly lower than what “Tenet” might generate under normal circumstances. Just as Disney pushed “Mulan” to Disney+, Warners certainly could have done the same with PVOD and HBO Max. And they are stepping up at an incredibly important moment in terms of the future of theaters.

“Tenet”
Warner Bros.

The demands on number of weeks to play are at the high end:

“Tenet” must have the largest non-IMAX screen each week, until otherwise agreed

Single screens – 4 weeks, with a third-weekend holdover figure determinant in place

Twins – 5+ weeks

3 to 8 screens – 8 weeks

9+ screens – 12 weeks

As the sole standout initial release, it should be easy to comply with these standards. For those rare single screens, four weeks would lead into “Wonder Woman 1984” (also Warner Bros.) on October 2.

Warners also requires maximum theater marketing directed to publicizing “Tenet,” at no extra cost to the studio. The studio also requires three trailers for upcoming Warner Bros. films before the “Tenet” feature.

Warners also plans film rental collection in a shorter time frame, and ties collection to digital print access. Warners doesn’t want exhibitors to use “Tenet” to pay other bills.

IndieWire has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment.

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

Exactly 1 week left (next Monday evening) until I will go see Tenet. Really excited to finally watch this film.

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

Tenet Tickets Go On Sale This Friday For Early Screenings

See the complete article here:

https://screenrant.com/tenet-tickets-sale-friday-early-screenings-movie-theaters/

Tickets for Christopher Nolan's latest blockbuster Tenet reportedly go on sale Friday for early screening previews ahead of its September 3 release.
By Cooper Hood | August 16, 2020

Tickets for early showings of Christopher Nolan's Tenet will go on sale this Friday. Nolan has become one of Hollywood's biggest directors over the last several years, and the mystery surrounding Tenet only heightened the general interest in his latest project. The movie stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, and the plot is still largely a secret, even though time inversion is confirmed to be a factor.

Originally, fans anxious to see another Nolan blockbuster would've already seen Tenet by now, but coronavirus has changed the release plans for the film several times. Warner Bros. and Nolan had a July 17 release date set and eventually were forced to delay the film indefinitely. It has since been announced that Tenet will finally release internationally on August 26 and then in open domestic markets on September 3. However, some will have the opportunity to see the movie earlier in the states and tickets are finally going on sale.

CraigMooreOHMSS · August 2020

DaltonCraig007 wrote: »

Exactly 1 week left (next Monday evening) until I will go see Tenet. Really excited to finally watch this film.

I hope you enjoy it, @DaltonCraig007 :)

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

Thanks @CraigMooreOHMSS! It really does feel great to finally be able to get excited for Tenet now that we have a release date set in stone. Same for (hopefully) most other big budget films scheduled for the rest of the year.

antovolk · August 2020

Well, looks like Nolan's doing his answer to the Bond title songs also. Travis Scott recorded a track;

When we meet, he's mostly just eager to play me the music he's been working on since the lockdown. It's early July, and we're inside the Cactus Jack office in West Hollywood—just vibing, listening to a few unfinished beats that he's been tight-lipped about, when Scott suddenly realizes he's made an error. “Ah, wrong one!” he says, leaping into the air to slam his hand on the keyboard, putting an abrupt stop to the record. *“Sorry!”* The track is for Christopher Nolan's enigmatic thriller *Tenet,* and it sounds like a brain-liquefying trip through time and space. It's Scott's first foray into writing music for a film, but his contributions, says Nolan, were crucial. “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle,” the director tells me over email. “His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism [composer] Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound.” The track is still untitled at the moment (and is currently known as “Travis mix 16”), which is a fitting accompaniment to an indefinitely delayed film that no one knows anything about. “I can't even explain it,” Scott says when I ask him to tell me anything about the film. “You literally just have to watch it. It's very *fire.* ”

https://www.gq.com/story/travis-scott-september-2020-cover-profile/amp?__twitter_impression=true

Pierce2Daniel · August 2020

antovolk wrote: »

Well, looks like Nolan's doing his answer to the Bond title songs also. Travis Scott recorded a track;

When we meet, he's mostly just eager to play me the music he's been working on since the lockdown. It's early July, and we're inside the Cactus Jack office in West Hollywood—just vibing, listening to a few unfinished beats that he's been tight-lipped about, when Scott suddenly realizes he's made an error. “Ah, wrong one!” he says, leaping into the air to slam his hand on the keyboard, putting an abrupt stop to the record. *“Sorry!”* The track is for Christopher Nolan's enigmatic thriller *Tenet,* and it sounds like a brain-liquefying trip through time and space. It's Scott's first foray into writing music for a film, but his contributions, says Nolan, were crucial. “His voice became the final piece of a yearlong puzzle,” the director tells me over email. “His insights into the musical and narrative mechanism [composer] Ludwig Göransson and I were building were immediate, insightful, and profound.” The track is still untitled at the moment (and is currently known as “Travis mix 16”), which is a fitting accompaniment to an indefinitely delayed film that no one knows anything about. “I can't even explain it,” Scott says when I ask him to tell me anything about the film. “You literally just have to watch it. It's very *fire.* ”

https://www.gq.com/story/travis-scott-september-2020-cover-profile/amp?__twitter_impression=true

This is Christopher Nolan right now:

This sounds like a move on the part of Ludwig Gorranson who has produced Childish Gambino's last few albums and bought Kendrick Lamar to Black Panther. It's a move that certainly intrigues me even more for Tenet.

Maybe Nolan was down on the idea as he thought it would add to the 'James Bond' factor that Tenet is aping. I don't think it rules Nolan out from making a Bond film. I found an old Playboy article from Dunkirk's release where he is emphatic about doing a Bond film. He says that he 'definitely' wants to make a 007 film.......
https://www.joe.co.uk/entertainment/christopher-nolan-is-definitely-interested-in-directing-a-james-bond-movie-133323

Though, perhaps Nolan has plans for The Protagonist. Maybe this new character he has devised is 'his' Bond. Moving forward he may have a trilogy of movies with The Protagonist on his mind. Who knows. The opaque and mysterious name alone would suggest that we may see more of The Protagonist in years to come. Nevertheless I do really really really want a Nolan-directed Bond film

hbnlval6b40jo6m4mcxi

Kinda crazy I'm seeing this at the BFI IMAX next week.

RichardTheBruce · August 2020

Why Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’
Represents a Big Piracy Risk Around
the World

See the complete article here:

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/tenet-piracy-concerns-christopher-nolan-1234735159/

By Patrick Frater, Manori Ravindran

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture

Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Tenet” is charting a new course for blockbusters during the pandemic by opening in foreign territories before it lands in the U.S.

However, many of the factors that make “Tenet” the milestone film in the cinema industry’s post-coronavirus road to recovery are simultaneously elements that expose it to piracy. That runs the risk that a thriller that thrives on keeping its twists under wraps will have its secrets exposed before domestic audiences have a chance to watch it.

“In some ways ‘Tenet’ is a perfect storm for piracy, in that it has raised expectations, both about the film itself and the cinema experience,” one anti-piracy veteran said, speaking to Variety on condition of anonymity. “Also, it has limited availability and suffers from a staggered release.”

The film’s uneven worldwide release pattern — launching in some international territories on Aug. 26 before coming to some U.S. cities on Sept. 3 and China on Sept 4 — is a result of the adventure epic having been rescheduled multiple times. When it does open in the U.S., it’s unclear if moviegoers in major markets like New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco, where cinemas remain closed, will even be able to see it on the big screen. That could spur more demand for pirated copies.

Though other major tentpoles, like superhero adventure “Aquaman,” generated massive ticket sales despite a staggered rollout across the globe, it’s rare that a movie would open in the U.S. without playing in markets in Los Angeles or New York City. It’s also possible that people will feel unsafe going to a theater during the public health crisis, potentially making them more willing to watch an illegal version of a film they would have otherwise been willing to watch on the big screen. In some foreign markets “Tenet” will clash with local events or other movie releases that it might otherwise have avoided.

“We see piracy can occur everywhere. It happens even in the three hours between East and West coast U.S. releases,” says the anti-piracy veteran.

While professional pirates would prefer to obtain pristine recordings from a post-production facility or a projection booth, camcording in cinemas can be a significant danger in the first few days of a film’s release.

There is believed to be a short-lived black market for handheld-recorded footage, and even a partial recording is useful as pirate editors will try to knit together as complete a version as possible. And an English-language soundtrack is seen as especially valuable in the case of a Hollywood movie.

COVID-19 social distancing could potentially make it harder for a person with a camera to avoid being spotted, especially in the middle of the auditorium, where the visual and audio experiences are optimal.

However, “the employment of security personnel to enforce physical distancing will also facilitate anti-piracy surveillance during ‘Tenet’ screenings,” said one Spanish exhibitor of the film which opens on Aug. 26 in Spain.

The same exhibitor said that he had no knowledge of Warner Bros. issuing anti-piracy guidance to exhibitors in Spain. But he was conscious that, with Latin American cinemas mostly under lockdown, there would be a heightened demand for Spanish-language pirate versions.

The Spanish exhibitor said that the terms and conditions received from Warner Bros. to date largely focused on commercial concerns. They included a requirement that Nolan’s movie should play a minimum eight weeks and occupy each complex’s biggest screens to compensate for limited auditorium occupancy. Warner Bros. is also raising its required percentage of box office gross in comparison to last year’s “Joker,” the exhibitor said.

Other exhibitors in Malaysia, Korea and Thailand said that, as of Wednesday, they had also not heard of any piracy-specific terms and conditions from Warner Bros. Insiders at Warner Bros., as well as executives at rival studios, note that there are careful security measures in place for any theatrical release.

Should illegal copies appear online, there are organizations that work diligently to spot and remove them from the internet. Privately, studio execs say pirated content is sometimes inevitable, but feel there’s less of a risk since “Tenet” is debuting in China fairly soon after it launches in other parts of the world.

“Thai moviegoers are excited for ‘Tenet’ coming on screen. We are very happy with the performance of (recent Korean hit) ‘Peninsula’ and look forward to ‘The Unhinged,’” said Suvannee Chinchiewchan, GM of Thailand’s SF Cinemas chain.

“Exhibitors in Thailand have not been notified by Warner of any specific requirements for ‘Tenet.’ They could ask us to implement measures like walk-throughs or projection booth checks, as have been done in the past,” she said.

Warner Bros. has yet to reach out to U.K.-based exhibitors with specific anti-piracy guidance for “Tenet,” but has begun investing heavily in marketing and promoting the film ahead of its Aug. 26 launch. Tickets went on sale at midnight on Aug. 11, with venues such as the Odeon BFI Imax, shuttered for months, opening in time to screen the film.

“Warner Bros. hasn’t specifically mentioned [piracy], but we’re aware of that and are taking extra steps because Chris Nolan is trusting us with ‘Tenet.’ We’re going to do everything we can to help him out,” said one senior international exhibitor, adding that the steps taken thus far are “within everything we can possibly do.”

A senior studio executive, who asked to remain anonymous, noted while Warner Bros. may not yet have focused attention on piracy, they are “certain to have the full force of their security and policing teams around the world all over whatever piracy links emerge.”

“Every studio has very strong and comprehensive piracy/technical teams all on hot alert as each movie goes to release,” the exec added.

The U.K.’s Film Content Protection Agency (FCPA) was set up in 2016 under the Film Distributors’ Association, and works closely with studios and exhibitors to safeguard new releases. Piracy in cinemas is not rampant in the U.K. and is generally concentrated in small geographic clusters around the country. Recent years, however, have seen an uptick in cases in London, tarnishing a previously clean record.

Simon Brown, director of the FCPA, has been in touch with Warner Bros. and exhibitors, and will distribute a risk assessment for “Tenet” by the end of the week. It is expected that the film will receive a “Vulnerable Release Alert,” known as a VRA, which means extra precautions and guidance are circulated among cinemas. The FCPA will then monitor the situation and decide whether to deploy covert operations.

Technology used in cinemas includes everything from infrared CCTV in auditoriums at chains such as Vue, to portable night vision devices that are used by staff. At smaller independent outfits, such as London’s Genesis Cinema, there are bag searches on entry, regular walk-through screen checks and continuous screen checks from manned projection rooms.

There is, ultimately, a heavy reliance on cinema workers, whom the FCPA incentivizes to report incidents with awards. “We rely so much on the vigilance and awareness of cinema staff,” says Brown, noting that 188 incidents in 2019 were identified and disrupted by staff.

The anxiety this year, however, is how many cinema workers will return to their jobs following the lockdown period. “We are not sure how many will be new staff, in which case we need to make sure they are aware of the basics around anti-piracy. That’s an issue for us because a lot of staff have been lost in this period,” says Brown.

An unforeseen piracy challenge this summer, however, will undoubtedly be the unprecedented surge of drive-in cinemas across the U.K. Drive-ins aren’t the cultural touchstone they are in the U.S,. but a four-month movie theater shutdown has seen more than 40 new outdoor cinemas set up shop across the country. At least one drive-in operator, The Drive In chain, has begun selling “Tenet” tickets for an Aug. 31-Sept. 13 run.

“It’s a big challenge,” says Brown. “We will really rely on members of staff because catching someone in a car is almost impossible.” The FCPA is now in the process of developing best practices for drive-ins specifically, which can be particularly vulnerable to audio piracy.

Laura Elmes, a producer at Drive In London, assures that the venues are taking necessary precautions, with CCTV “all over the site.”

“We’ve also got 20 attendants patrolling the site throughout. We’re pretty well covered, to be honest, because it is not a dark cinema as well, it is quite easy to see if anyone is trying to get away with filming stuff,” says Elmes.

And what if they catch someone filming? “We’d get them to delete anything they’ve got, and then we’d keep an eye on them — depends on what they are doing, they might be asked to leave. Obviously, piracy is our top priority because it is so important. We’d stop them from coming back. It’s definitely top of the list.”

Creasy47 · August 2020

That was a given. A film shrouded in that much secrecy during a pandemic that isn't opening on the same date worldwide is going to lead to lots of piracy.

antovolk · August 2020

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1295886638485102592

DaltonCraig007 · August 2020

Tenet will have to forget about New-York once it opens domestically on September 3rd: New-York cinemas will remain closed indefinitely.

https://www.indiewire.com/2020/08/new-york-movie-theaters-closed-reopening-1234580499/

matt_u · August 2020

antovolk wrote: »

https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1295886638485102592

That’s odd.

Jan1985 · August 2020

Today the first press screenings in Germany were held, but there is an embargo until friday.
So we have to wait another two days for the first reviews.

jake24 · August 2020

Seeing Tenet in IMAX 70mm a week from tomorrow. Can’t wait. I really hope the NTTD trailer is played beforehand.

GadgetMan · August 2020

Maybe because Nolan loves Bond deeply, he's choosing to go first, so he can (hopefully) pave way for NTTD.

GeneralGogol · August 2020

I look forward to seeing Tenet next week. The seating allowance at my local theatre is in every other row, with spacing of 3 seats between pairs of seats. With up to 20 showings a day, I don't think there will be any sold out showings.

Jan1985 · August 2020

jake24 wrote: »

Seeing Tenet in IMAX 70mm a week from tomorrow. Can’t wait. I really hope the NTTD trailer is played beforehand.

Me, too.
The Savoy Theatre in Hamburg is only one of 5 cinemas in Germany, that still operates a 70mm projector.

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