The wait is just about over and Christopher Nolan's Tenet is set to hit DVD/Digital release on December 15. Nolan's latest blockbuster, which was one of the few films to brave the pandemic and release in theaters, suffered greatly due to the Coronavirus preventing people from viewing the film safely. While this outcome was predicted by many, Nolan and the studio insisted that the film debut in a proper silver screen format. For those who weren't willing to venture into theaters however, a viewing can soon be in the future.
It's difficult to discuss Tenet without mentioning the bizarre series of events that surround it. The film was all but guaranteed to be a smash hit, another huge production from the acclaimed Christopher Nolan, until the pandemic swept across America, shutting down nearly every theater in the country. While most big studios opted to delay their releases indefinitely or pursue other distribution strategies, Nolan and Co. felt strongly that the film needed to be released to theaters exclusively as all his films had before. This would be a decision that didn't pan out as the company hoped.
Whether the decision was due entirely to Nolan's artistic vision or the company hoping Tenet would kickstart the industry, the film produced a fairly disappointing box office. Disappointing enough, in fact, that Warner Bros. opted to obscure the exact details of its day to day income, a move that broke decades of box office tradition, and suggests that the company was worried about how the numbers would look to the general audience. The film is still currently in theaters, but hasn't had much of an upswing. Regardless, Warner Bros. is likely hoping that the digital and DVD release will bolster the film's profits, and reach those who were hesitant to see it in theaters.
Nolan himself has taken a more optimistic tone with the film's performance. Recently he remarked: “I am worried that the studios are drawing the wrong conclusions from our release — that rather than looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much needed revenue, they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-COVID expectations." It seems Nolan is trying to project a more realistic projection, based on the current reality, rather than comparing the film to what it would have made if it came out last year. Whether or not general audiences, or Warner Bros. will remember Tenet as a success remains to be seen.
The digital and DVD/Blu-Ray release of Tenet will be available starting December 15.
Source: Collider