How Chris Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ Could Forever Change How Hollywood Markets Their Blockbusters

Can Chris Nolan’s $200 million sci-fi original succeed despite a lack of some of the most valuable tools in the Hollywood marketing toolbox?

The latest updates (so sayeth Deadline) regarding the great Tenet conundrum argues that Warner Bros. will decide in just a few weeks whether to attempt to open the Chris Nolan sci-fi actioner as scheduled on July 17 or delay it either to August 14 (sending Wonder Woman 1984 to October or December) or later. The big issues are three-fold: First, will 80% of available theaters worldwide be open for business? Second: Will Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco be open in time, as those three markets could account for as much as 25% of the film’s theoretical opening weekend? Third, and this one is what I want to discuss: How does one market a big-budget tentpole during a pandemic?

The best marketing tool that a big movie can have is a buzzy trailer playing before another big demographically-similar movie. Think the terrifying first teaser to Deep Impact that played with every single theatrical showing of Titanic. Think the buzzy “Look at all these cool movie stars!” teaser for Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief that played before almost every showing of Avatar. Think the crowd-pleasing “sloth at the DMV” teaser for Zootopia attached to Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Think the buzzy horror trailer for Get Out that played in front of Split, the Lights Out trailer playing before The Conjuring 2 and the Devil Inside trailer playing in front of Paranormal Activity 3.

If Warner Bros. is to release Tenet on July 17, we have to presume that we’ll get a new trailer in the next few weeks. But that trailer will have absolutely nowhere to play, at least not in theaters. Had things gone to plan, we likely would have seen that new trailer attached to Black Widow earlier this month, with another possibly playing with Wonder Woman 1984 in early June. But, again, there are no new movies on which to premiere the trailer, nor will the next two months offer captive audiences viewing that trailer prior to showings of Black Widow, F9, Wonder Woman 1984 and Top Gun Maverick. One of the best marketing tools is no longer available.

The current social distancing/quarantine guidelines means there are far fewer people who will see billboards, bus station posters and related print advertising. Fewer people driving to work means the value of radio spots will decrease accordingly. Yes, more folks who are stuck at home are watching more TV along with VOD/streaming binges, but there are few “event” TV shows, big season finales and no awards shows (especially after tonight’s American Idol finale/Taylor Swift concert) during which to buy TV spots for the film. Live sports are up in the air right now. Major League Baseball may return over Independence Day weekend, and NASCAR is allegedly returning today at Darlington raceway. Soccer is effectively cancelled worldwide, which removes a crucial overseas marketing opportunity.

With no movie theaters, fewer folks driving to work, no live sports (for now), and no real “event” TV shows, what’s a big movie like Tenet to do? Well, I’m guessing Warner Bros. will look at the nearly four billion people who allegedly watched some variation of the #ScoobDance TikTok challenge and just flood the Internet. The print media campaign is already up and running and the film’s stars (John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, etc.) can still plug the movie via Zoom on the talk show circuit. Yes, we may see an unshaven Chris Nolan in his pajamas giving a zoom interview for Jimmy Kimmel’s Tonight Show. I’m kidding, he’ll still wear a suit for the occasion.

There have been successful lightning-fast marketing campaigns. Think Universal’s Us (first trailer on Christmas, 8.5 weeks before its $71 million opening weekend) and Lionsgate’s John Wick (acquired five weeks before its October 2014 release). But they had all marketing tools at their disposal. Moreover, the big movies that waited until the last minute (Ghostbusters, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Dark Shadows, etc.) bombed. If WB can successfully sell a $200 million, non-IP original live-action sci-fi thriller (albeit a film that was expected to be huge) in over/under six weeks, that could change how tentpoles are marketed. Tenet could make history as a mega-budget blockbuster with a successful under-two months pre-release marketing campaign in unprecedented circumstances and sans many of the conventional tools.