Christopher Nolan Says Tenet Is Designed for the Audience Experience

In the years since Christopher Nolan ventured into the world of superhero cinema with Batman Begins in 2005, he has delivered audiences some of the biggest and most immersive theatrical experiences imaginable, which extends outside the world of the DC Comics figure to include Inception and Dunkirk, with the filmmaker recently reminding fans that his latest film, Tenet, is the peak of his intentions to deliver a gripping theatrical experience. With the film having been developed prior to the coronavirus pandemic shuttering theaters around the world, it seemed like a given that Tenet would land in the biggest theaters in the world, though this release strategy could be in complete jeopardy in the interests of public safety.

“We’re in the final throes of it,” Nolan shared with CineEurope participants, per Deadline. “I don’t want to say too much about it other than we’re extraordinarily excited about what we’ve been able to do with this material. I think of all the films that I’ve made, this is perhaps the one that is most designed for the audience experience, the big screen experience. This is a film whose image and sound really needs to be enjoyed in your theaters on the big screen and we’re very, very excited for you to see what it is we’ve done. We’ve made big films in the past, but this is a film whose global reach and level of action is beyond anything we’ve ever attempted before. I think we only would have been able to pull off this film with the level of experience we’ve had doing action films in the past.”

He added, “The movie has an incredible ensemble cast led by John David Washington who gives the most extraordinary and iconic performance as the protagonist at the heart of Tenet and I cannot wait for you guys to see what he’s done with his character. I’m very much looking forward to sharing the film with you. I’m going to get back to finishing it right now and I look forward to your reaction.”

In the months since movie theaters started to close, studios have been rescheduling their highly anticipated projects, though Warner Bros. has been refraining from making adjustments to Tenet, thinking that theaters would be open in time for its release. Last week, the studio confirmed that its release would be delayed by two weeks, despite theaters not yet having resumed normal operations.

While everyone is hoping to get back into theaters as soon as possible, it’s currently unclear if Tenet will still hit its July 31st release date, with it being possible it will earn another delay. We likely shouldn’t expect the film to pursue an avenue that other films are pursuing and skipping a theatrical release entirely, given how much Nolan has emphasized the spectacle of the new film.

Stay tuned for details on Tenet before its scheduled theatrical release on July 31st.

What do you think of the filmmaker’s remarks? Let us know in the comments below!