Tenet Removes July Release Date From Official Social Media

The movie industry has essentially been at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with social [...]

By Jenna Anderson

The movie industry has essentially been at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with social distancing rules and general anxiety shutting down a majority of movie theaters across the country. The timetable of when theaters could realistically and safely reopen has been debated about quite a lot in recent months, with Christopher Nolan's Tenet placed as a sort of poster child for the movement. At the time of this writing, Tenet still is aiming to open in theaters this July -- but some are wondering if that could soon change. Tenet's official Twitter account recently removed all mentions of the July 17th release date from its profile, leading some to wonder if the film could actually end up delaying its release date.

With the film's second trailer set to debut in-game on Fortnite tonight (yes, you read that right), we hopefully won't have to wait long to get an answer one way or another. Still, this small tweak in Tenet's social media is certainly interesting, especially given how much Nolan has reportedly advocated for the film to reinvigorate mainstream theaters after this dark time.

"Chris really would like to be coming out with the film that opens theaters," IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said on a recent earnings call. "I don't know anyone in America who is pushing harder to get the theaters reopened and to get his movie released than Chris Nolan."

That passion is certainly no secret to diehard fans of the director, as Nolan has championed the moviegoing experience - as well as the art of film projection - throughout the years. In late March, Nolan penned an op-ed for The Washington Post arguing that movie theaters are "a vital part of social life", and must not be cast aside in a post-pandemic world.

"Movie theaters have gone dark, and will stay that way for a time," Nolan writes in the op-ed. "But movies, unlike unsold produce or unearned interest, don't cease to be of value. Much of this short-term loss is recoverable. When this crisis passes, the need for collective human engagement, the need to live and love and laugh and cry together,will be more powerful than ever. The combination of that pent-up demand and the promise of new movies could boost local economies and contribute billions to our national economy. We don't just owe it to the 150,000 workers of this great American industry to include them in those we help, we owe it to ourselves. We need what movies can offer us."

Tenet will star John David Washington (BlackKklansman), Robert Pattinson (The Lighthouse, The Batman), and Elizabeth Debicki (The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2). The cast will also include Dimple Kapadia (Dil Chatwa Hai, Dabangg), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Kick-Ass), Clémence Poésy (In Bruges, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), Michael Caine (The Dark Knight, The Prestige), Himesh Patel (Yesterday, EastEnders) and Kenneth Branagh (Dunkirk, Murder on the Orient Express).

What do you think of Tenet removing its July release date from its official social media? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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