Warner Bros. committed to releasing Tenet & Wonder Woman 1984 in theaters

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has made many films delay their release dates as movie theaters shuttered worldwide. The summer box office is essentially nonexistent with no big releases coming until July at this point but one film that has stood its ground on its release date is Christopher Nolan's TENET. Many have been looking at Warner Bros., wondering what their final decision will be but, much like they decided with WONDER WOMAN 1984, a theatrical release is the only option. 

Via "The Hollywood Reporter", Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff addressed the issue of the release of TENET & WONDER WOMAN 1984. The latter film moved off its June 5 release date to August 14, despite rumors of streaming being considered, and although Sarnoff believes the model for releasing films solely via theaters is changing, both films were made to be seen on the big screen:

"We are committed to – and are excited about – releasing Tenet in theaters this summer or whenever theaters reopen. We remain supportive of the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners, and are confident that our tentpole titles, including Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984, are exactly the type of films that will have people eager to return to theaters."

Since Universal Pictures became the first studio to release their current theatrical slate early via VOD after the theater closures, moviegoers have suggested that all the studios should consider going straight to digital for their releases that were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Universal made this move again with the VOD release of TROLLS WORLD TOUR which shattered the VOD debut record. Warner Bros is even going that route with the animated film, SCOOB, which was pushed off its summer release to now debut on VOD on May 15. This seems to be a feasible alternative for a lot of family films with many parents seeking out kid friendly options to view at home during quarantine but it's not a financially realistic option for tentpole releases like TENET & WONDER WOMAN 1984. Sarnoff reaffirmed that notion by insisting a theatrical release is the only way to go for blockbusters:

"Theatrical films have always been a major part of the our ecosystem. I fully expect that as we evaluate our business going forward, we will continue to champion creative work that is worthy of the theatrical experience."

Christopher Nolan is a huge supporter of the theatrical experience and he makes his films to be seen at their best on the big screen. Nolan came out in support of studios doing what they can to help theaters recover from the fallout of COVID-19 so it's clear that TENET hitting streaming before a run in theaters would never happen under his watch. As for WONDER WOMAN 1984,  the highly anticipated sequel is a big budget priority for Warner Bros so it comes as no surprise that they never intended to skip a theatrical run.

Do YOU think TENET will still see its release on July 17? Is Warner Bros right about being committed to releasing these films in theaters?