According to AT&T CEO John Stankey, Christopher Nolan wants to wait until his movie will be released properly, which means, in theaters. The streaming solution is not an option, nor geographically limited release. And that leaves us with summer 2021 after COVID goes away. Watch the interview below.

Tenet’s saga

Tenet is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. Christopher Nolan wrote and directed the film, utilizing a mixture of IMAX and 70mm film cameras. Tenet was filmed on location across seven countries and considered an IMAX masterpiece. Make sure to check our article on the making of Tenet (Tenet Cinematography: Be Prepared for an IMAX Masterpiece) in order to understand why it’s so important for this film to be screened on the huge canvas. However, COVID has his own plans. The panic of the pandemic significantly negatively impacts the film industry. Furthermore, virus proliferation causes the prevention of reopening theaters and thus, Tenet screening was delayed even further (read: Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ Should Be Released When the Pandemic is Over). Moreover, that chain reaction causes the delay of major studio releases like Top Gun: Maverick, A Quiet Place 2, and many others.

Top Gun: Maverick was delayed to summer 2021

The same goes for Top Gun 2 (Top Gun: Maverick) that was filmed for the huge canvas (IMAX) as well. We wrote an article on how six Sony Venice cameras were implemented inside a fighter-jet cockpit in order to boost the big screen experience (read: Top Gun: Maverick – Six Sony VENICE Cameras Inside a Fighter-Jet Cockpit). This movie was supposed to be released this summer, however, due to the panic of the pandemic, the movie was first delayed to Christmas 2021 by Paramount. A few days ago, Tom Cruise updated the new release date on his FB page by uploading the poster of the movie with a new release date: July 2, 2021 (look at the picture above).

We truly believe that there is no movie-viewing experience like the one enjoyed in theaters.

Chris Aronson- Paramount president of domestic distribution

A Quiet Place Part II is being delayed to April 23, 2021

Paramount has also announced last week that John Krasinski’s A Quiet Place Part II is being delayed from Sept. 4, 2020, to April 23, 2021. This movie was shot by Polly Morgan on the Panavision XL2 paired with the wonderful T-series anamorphic (read: A Quiet Place Part II was Shot on Panavision’s Panaflex Millennium XL2 and T Glass) to grant the audience immersive and wonderful viewing experience. We can understand why Paramount has decided to wait until the pandemic is over. As stated by Paramount president of domestic distribution Chris Aronson: “We truly believe that there is no movie-viewing experience like the one enjoyed in theaters,” Added his international colleague Mark Viane, “We are committed to the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners, and want to stress that we are confident that, when the time comes, audiences everywhere will once again enjoy the singular joy of seeing Paramount films on the big screen”. 

We are committed to the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners and want to stress that we are confident that, when the time comes, audiences everywhere will once again enjoy the singular joy of seeing Paramount films on the big screen.

Chris Aronson- Paramount president of domestic distribution

“Tenet was engineered for theaters”

AT&T CEO John Stankey told CNBC that Tenet was engineered for theaters, and he doesn’t see any other option than releasing the movie worldwide:” I don’t know if I can predict when theaters goers are going to return… and one of the problems reopening theaters if you think about it is that you can’t go on and release something like Tenet geographically. When it releases in a theater it pretty much needs to be released nationwide. So if you have a major metropolitan area like LA that is totally out of check (due to COVID), and you have some part of the country that is more controlled, it doesn’t necessarily give you an option to go open it to half of the country. It just doesn’t work. My point of Tenet ..it’s a movie.. an experience that should be seen on theaters and was engineered to be that way… and as a result, it needs to show up that way and certainly, Christopher would like it to be that way.. this is what he wants that this piece of work that he’s done be seen by moviegoers and that’s why it should be released in theaters”.

You can watch the interview here.

You can’t go on and release something like Tenet geographically. When it releases in a theaters it pretty much needs to be released nationwide.

John Stankey – AT&T CEO

Interpretation

In my opinion, after hearing AT&T CEO John Stankey, the outcome is pretty clear. Tenet’s fate would be similar to Top Gun: Maverick and A Quiet Place Part II, which means, it’ll be delayed to summer 2021. I think it’s the most logical decision. Till then, the COVID thing will be over and movie theaters will rise again. One thing for sure, summer 2021 will be one of the happiest summers among movie lovers. Don’t you think?