New York (AFP)
The release of Christopher Nolan's new film, "Tenet", has been postponed indefinitely, studio president Warner Bros. announced Monday, more bad news for movie theater operators hoping to save their season with this long-awaited blockbuster.
"The pandemic continues to proliferate, which leads us to review our release dates," said Toby Emmerlich, in a statement sent to AFP, ensuring that a new date would be announced "imminently".
The process of progressive reopening of theaters has been interrupted in recent weeks due to the acceleration of the pandemic, in several states of the United States as well as in other countries of the world.
Even in the reopened rooms, the public does not hurry, because many spectators are still reluctant to go to the cinema when there is no treatment or vaccine available against the Covid-19.
Warner Bros. had already played the watch by postponing the release for the first time from July 17 to 31, then a second, to August 12, before throwing in the towel for this summer.
"We do not consider Tenet to be a traditional release with a day and a date, which will be reflected in our distribution and promotion strategy," said Toby Emmerlich.
At the end of June, a spokesperson for Warner Bros (subsidiary of the cable operator AT&T) had notably explained that the film could be released on a Wednesday, instead of a Friday, the traditional day of releases in the United States.
It was also a question of offering the film a much longer life than usual windows, she had indicated.
Spy film incorporating supernatural elements, "Tenet" is in line with the works of Christopher Nolan, whose spectacular and innovative cinema has made him one of the most popular directors in the world.
From "Memento" to "Dunkirk", via the Batman trilogy, the director has created a world apart, which attracts the public.
With a colossal budget of 205 million dollars, according to several American media, "Tenet" has for main actor John David Washington, the son of comedian Denzel Washington.
The president of Warner Bros. also announced Monday the postponement of the release of the horror film "Conjuring 3: In the grip of the devil", from September 10 to June 4, 2021.
© 2020 AFP