Warner Bros. apparently considered pushing Tenet‘s release ever further back than they already did.

The protagonist of "Tenet" discussing matters with a Warner Bros. exec.
Tenet’s protagonist being told why he’s going to appear later than normal.

Basics For Tenet

Last Friday on June 12, Warner Bros. had announced that Tenet‘s theatrical release would be pushed back to July 31 from the previous July 17. However, Joblo.com reports that Warner Bros. originally considered going with an even later release date. Warner Bros unfortunately didn’t give an exact date. However, they did say that they’d wanted an even later release in order to be in the best possible position to recoup their investment in Tenet. Considering that Tenet already has a $200 million budget, this is perfectly understandable. After all, money makes the world go ’round.

Nolan throwing money at Warner Bros.
Wile E. Coyote actually lives up to his name.

Turns out, Warner Bros. decided to go with a July 31 release for Tenet instead of a later release because of a certain overly eager director. Apparently, Christopher Nolan really, really, really wanted to an earlier release date. And because Nolan is so good at his job, Warner Bros. really wanted to keep him happy. Thus, Warner Bros. acceded to his eagerness and went with that July 31 release. To quote The New York Times:

“In recent weeks, Warner, concerned about its “Tenet” investment, was leaning in favor of postponement, while Mr. Nolan, a fervent advocate for preserving the moviegoing experience, was more eager to press ahead. The discussions amounted to a fraught moment for Warner: Mr. Nolan is a proven moneymaker, and the studio wants to keep him happy.“

The New York Times

Nolan has long been fighting for movie theaters to get back into operation as soon as possible. He’s been a very vocal advocate of getting theaters the funding and help they need to be able to operate safely. Tenet is just the guinea pig for this little experiment.

Conclusion

I’m not sure this is entirely possible what with the whole coronavirus pandemic going on, but if Warner Bros. and a certain Nolan can make it work safely, I’m all for it.

Tenet's protagonist wearing pandemic-appropriate headgear.
Tenet‘s protagonist fully kitted out for the pandemic.

At the very least, Tenet has me hyped enough to consider it.

Source: Joblo.com