Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. opted to first release Christopher Nolan's Tenet in theaters internationally before gradually opening the spy film in the United States starting in early September. Now, the studio reports Tenet has surpassed expectations by earning $53 million-plus in its opening weekend in 41 international markets.
Tenet debuted in theaters on August 26 in seventy countries, including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom. According to the box office figures reported by Warner Bros., Tenet earned $7.1 million in the United Kingdom, $5.7 million in France, and $4.2 million in Germany. While Warner Bros. did not provide exact figures for the other territories, the studio noted that $37 million of Tenet's earnings came from 32 markets in Europe, the Middle East, and African regions.
IMAX screenings from 248 screens in 38 markets reportedly accounted for $5 million of Tenet's international opening weekend gross. The large-screen format company reported a $20,000-plus screen average for Nolan's latest and sold-out shows in areas including London, Toronto, South Korea, and Thailand. Tenet now has to earn roughly $150 million to match the estimated $200 million production budget, excluding marketing costs, though it will have to become a massive box office hit in order to turn out a profit.
"We are off to a fantastic start internationally and couldn’t be more pleased. Christopher Nolan has once again delivered an event worthy motion picture that demands to be seen on the big screen, and we are thrilled that audiences across the globe are getting the opportunity to see Tenet," said Toby Emmerich, Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman, of Tenet's successful international debut. "Thank you to our exhibition partners for their tireless efforts in reopening their cinemas in a safe and socially-distanced way. Given the unprecedented circumstances of this global release we know we’re running a marathon, not a sprint, and look forward to long playability for this film globally for many weeks to come."
Nolan and Warner Bros. were reportedly adamant about releasing Tenet in theaters as opposed to further delaying the film or making it available on a VOD platform. In the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, before Tenet was pushed back from its July release date, Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff noted that the Nolan film and Wonder Woman 1984 were the exact type of blockbusters audiences would be eager to see in theaters.
However, the decision to release Tenet in theaters even in areas where the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has decreased has stirred up a debate among moviegoers. While most understand exhibitors are in desperate need to see audiences return to theaters in order to stay afloat, the risk of contracting the virus even with the measures taken to protect patrons does not seem worthwhile for many.
Tene will be released in select U.S. theaters on September 3, 2020.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter