The first expected blockbuster to be released after March’s shutdown, Tenet is pushed back to an as-yet-unannounced date later in 2020, Warner Bros. announced Monday.
Originally scheduled for July 17, the film was pushed back two weeks to July 31 on June 12, then pushed back two weeks again to August 12 on June 25. It’s unclear whether the title will be pushed back approximately two weeks again, or for a longer period this time.
Tenet tentatively cedes the “first major blockbuster in cinemas” claim to Disney’s Mulan on August 21. Tentatively, the first two wide releases remain Sony Pictures’ and TriStar’s romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery and 20th Century Studios’ horror The Empty Man, both on August 7. However, Tenet‘s prior release changes caused a domino effect of other films changing releases in its wake, and the same may occur again this time.
[Update: on Monday afternoon, Sony Pictures confirmed that The Broken Hearts Gallery will move to a TBD date.]
For Tenet‘s last release change, Warner Bros. also simultaneously announced a 10th anniversary re-release of screenwriter-director Christopher Nolan’s Inception on July 31, to screen in cinemas for two weeks prior to Tenet. Though not said directly in Warner Bros.’ announcement today, it’s likely Tenet‘s new release change will affect that Inception re-release as well.
This move could push back the opening dates for North America’s three largest cinema chains as well: AMC, Regal, and Cinemark. All three are currently scheduled to open the bulk of their locations by late July, in time for the originally announced Inception re-release. (It’s also possible those chains could keep their current opening dates, but screen older or repertory content at first.)
Warner Bros. also announced Monday that The Conjuring 3 will move from September 11 to June 4, 2021. It takes the release date of another Warner Bros. and New Line horror film, currently untitled. This mirrors the summer release dates of the Conjuring franchise’s two previous installments, in July 2013 and June 2016.
“Amidst all this continued uncertainty, we have decided to vacate the current dates for our next two releases,” Warner Bros. Pictures Group Chair Toby Emmerich said in a statement.
“We will share a new 2020 release date imminently for Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s wholly original and mind-blowing feature. We are not treating Tenet like a traditional global day-and-date release, and our upcoming marketing and distribution plans will reflect that.”
“Additionally, we will be moving the next installment from our most-successful horror franchise, The Conjuring 3, to June 4, 2021.”
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