The ‘Tenet’ Effect: ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Premiere Delayed Amid Sluggish Box Office

Topline

Warner Bros. has made the call to delay the premiere of “Wonder Woman 1984” by two months after their Christopher Nolan-directed film “Tenet” faced lukewarm box office sales opening weekend as Americans appear to be reluctant to return to movie theaters as the coronavirus continues to spread in much of the country.

Key Facts

What To Watch For

The next big movie debut on the Hollywood calendar is Marvel’s “Black Widow” set for an early November rollout. The film’s performance in theaters will likely be carefully watched by the industry as studios gauge how to approach the release of their upcoming big-budget projects.

Key Background

The long-awaited sequel to 2017’s “Wonder Woman,” Gal Gadot will reprise her role as the film’s eponymous superhero as she faces off against new enemies and navigates the Cold War era. “Wonder Woman 1984” is just the latest film in a string of Hollywood projects that has seen its timeline upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Another superhero movie, “The Batman,” has seen its production suspended twice; once when the coronavirus first hit the U.K., where the movie is being filmed, and again last week when lead actor Robert Pattinson reportedly tested positive for the virus. The premiere had already been pushed back from June 2021 to October 2021, and it’s unclear if the second pause on filming will delay the release further. Other films, like this year’s “Mulan” from Disney, were released on the streaming services instead of the typical movie theater rollout as a result of the pandemic. While Disney declined to share specific numbers, CFO Christine McCarthy told Bloomberg the company was “very pleased” with the results and that the Disney+ platform gained subscribers thanks to the exclusive release.

Further Reading

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Delayed as Pandemic Slows U.S. Theater Reopenings (Wall Street Journal)

Pandemic chases ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ to Dec. 25 (Associated Press)

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Release Date Pushed to Christmas (Variety)