The beginnings of the pandemic made it so that we couldn’t see certain movies that were released in 2020. Now, Christopher Nolan fans will have an opportunity for one week only to see Tenet, including theaters that have 70mm IMAX screens. The beloved filmmaker’s 2020 sci-fi flick will be available in the U.S. and some international markets on the biggest screen possible on the week of February 23.
The move is not only to give the movie another chance on the big screen, but it is largely to market Dune: Part Two. Attendees will get exclusive footage of the upcoming Denis Villeneuve epic. The adaptation of the Frank Herbert classic novel will be released on March 1.
Christopher Nolan’s Divisive Tenet Is Back in Theaters, Includes Dune 2 and 70mm IMAX Screens
While it still received positive reviews, Tenet stands as Christopher Nolan’s most divisive movie to date. Its Rotten Tomatoes scores for audiences and critics are the lowest for the director. While both are positive to meet the Fresh threshold, the 69% (critic) and 76% (audience) scores are the lowest from his filmography, and he has largely gone showered in praise.
Much of the division of the film comes from its concept and sound design. With movies like Inception, he became known for high-concept sci-fi blockbusters. This one can be debatably too high of a concept, as some found it too convoluted and confusing. It was also difficult to hear as the filmmaker is known for preferring his sound to be realistic. Even if an actor is hard to hear because they are wearing a gas mask, he will keep the audio as was captured on set.
Beyond the first two months of 2020, no movie got a fair chance as everything shut down due to the start of the COVID pandemic. Tenet was one of the few films released and resulted in a box office of $365 million off a $200 million budget. Since then, the industry has not recovered, as attendance remains below 2019, with some exceptions like No Way Home, Top Gun: Maverick, Barbie, and Oppenheimer.
The week will likely not give it enough time to make money four years later, but it will give a box office boost while giving people a chance to catch the movie on the big screen. Tickets are now available.
