First Tenet IMAX Screening Reactions Emerge

The movie industry has been gradually trying to rebuild amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with the question of how and when major blockbusters will be released still changing on a daily basis. One of the biggest bombshells arrived on Monday, when it was revealed that Christopher Nolan's Tenet will finally be released internationally on August 26th, before debuting in select North American theaters in early September. With Tenet's release being delayed several times already - and many regarding the film to be the first test of how the box office will evolve from the pandemic - expectations for the film are arguably pretty high. According to those who have already experienced part of the film in theaters, the wait will definitely have been worth it.

"Several people at Imax were involved with Tenet at the post-production phase," IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts. "Their reaction was, 'Oh my God – I forgot how great it was to be in a movie.' Tenet is just a beautifully filmed, beautifully made, wonderful movie. … It wasn't just one person, at one age. It was a number of Imax employees who spontaneously said that to me."

Given Nolan's existing relationship with IMAX - and the fact that Tenet was shot entirely with IMAX equipment - this behind-the-scenes look was probably to be expected. While Gelfond did not expand more on what sort of "sneak peek" of Tenet the IMAX employees got, those comments certainly go with the long-running hype that has surrounded the film.

IMAX reportedly also outlined how they hope to accommodate for Tenet's unconventional release, with the company reportedly expecting around 90% of its 1,400 theaters worldwide to be open by the end of August. With Nolan's last blockbuster, Dunkirk, earning 22% of its domestic gross and 17% of its overall gross from IMAX screenings, Gelfond reportedly has high hopes for how Tenet will do in the company's setting.

"Unlike Dunkirk, which was a European-centric movie, Tenet is a more traditional action-thriller blockbuster with the potential for wider global appeal," Gelfond added.

Tenet will follow an unnamed character named "The Protagonist" (John David Washington), who will journey through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real-time. The film's cast will also include Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Dimple Kapadia, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clémence Poésy, Michael Caine, Himesh Patel, and Kenneth Branagh.

h/t: Deadline