Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ is one of the few major film releases that has not backed down from its original release date.  Even in the face of global sheltering-in-place, Warner Brothers has insisted that ‘Tenet’ would keep its July 17 THEATRICAL release date, while the studio nudged other major projects like ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ further back on the calendar.  In fact, theater chains have been eyeing this as a savior of sorts; the first major release post-quarantine, that would bring audiences back to multiplexes.

However, there is now some doubt as to whether ‘Tenet’ will arrive as planned on July 17.  A second trailer has arrived and at the end, it simply reads “Coming to Theaters.”  No date is given.

Check out the new trailer below:

If you missed the first trailer, you can find it here.

According to Deadline, Warner Brothers needs 80% of the world’s theaters to be reopened by the release date in order to recoup ‘Tenet’s $200 million budget.  Previously, experts believed that the movie would still do well in its original date, even if social distancing measures are taken the way they were prior to theaters being completely shut down.  As you may recall, just prior to complete lock-down, theaters were only selling about half of their seats to allow viewers to avoid sitting too close to others.

Even so, predictions indicated that moviegoers might not turn out en mass on opening weekend for ‘Tenet’, but it would make a lot of money over time because it would be the only major movie playing.  It’s conceivable that some multiplexes could devote every screen to it.  What else are they gonna show?  Some movies that came out four months prior that are already available on-demand or even on Blu-Ray?

‘Tenet’ stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, with Michael Caine and Kenneth Branagh.

No one quite knows what it is actually about yet.  It appears to involve time-warping, but Pattinson has insisted that the movie isn’t about time travel.  In fact, there is a line in the trailer that shoots down the very idea, although there is talk of “communicating” with the future and, as we’ve seen, there is a lot of fast-forwarding and rewinding going on.

What do you think?  Are you ready to head back to the multiplex?  And is ‘Tenet’ the film that will draw you back?