George Clooney comments on Tenet’s theatrical release

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

George Clooney is set to come into our homes with the release of his Netflix film, THE MIDNIGHT SKY. Clooney has been out and about promoting the new film and since it's one of many that opted to go for a streaming release rather than theatrical, the actor weighed in on another high-profile release that dared to open in movie theaters during the pandemic.

Clooney sat down with "The Hollywood Reporter" to discuss THE MIDNIGHT SKY and the topic of getting people to go back to movies was brought up. The actor acknowledged that it was a bit "tricky" to convince audiences to go to movie theaters again as we're in the wake of a surging pandemic and he used the release of Christopher Nolan's TENET to make his point:

"Good timing that I was with Netflix huh? I mean, it's funny. Tenet and us are like the only two big films that are coming out this year… I haven't seen [Tenet] either. Trying to force people into a movie theater is an awfully tricky thing to do when you're in the middle of [an emergency]."

That might sound like he's throwing a bit of shade at Nolan's and Warner Bros.' insistence on releasing TENET in theatres despite the fact that we're in the middle of a global pandemic. Clooney is known to be a bit sarcastic and doesn't shy away from making jokes but a part of me thinks there was a hint of realism in his comment. The TENET experiment didn't totally work for Warner Bros. on the domestic front and the film's box office returns could indicate that it just wasn't the right time to release an event film like that to get butts back in the seats at movie theaters. TENET has thrived a bit overseas but a lot of overseas markets were bending the curve on the virus long before we were and now we're faced with another big wave that has only halted the industry once more. The timing of Clooney being involved with a Netflix film seems absolutely perfect because it's the ideal avenue to release films as we're faced with the uncertainty of what the theatrical experience will be moving forward.

In THE MIDNIGHT SKY, Clooney stars in a post-apocalyptic tale that follows him as a lonely scientist in the Arctic. It's his mission to stop Sully (Felicity Jones) and her fellow astronauts from returning home to a mysterious global catastrophe. The film also stars Sophie Rundle, Kyle Chandler, Ethan Peck, David Oyelowo, Demian Bichir, and Tim Russ.

Do YOU agree with Clooney's TENET comments?