Christopher Nolan’s Tenet Opened with USD 53 Million in Overseas Gambit at Box Office

While many of Hollywood’s largest productions have postponed their release and others have rerouted to streaming platforms, Warner Bros. gambled that “Tenet” could roll out abroad first, and then gradually debut in the U.S. So far, it seems to be working. The overseas opening for “Tenet” was greeted by some as proof that blockbuster moviegoing can be resurrected even while the virus continues to circulate and large indoor gatherings are considered higher risk.

As part of their safety protocols, movie theaters are mandating mask wearing, cleaning cinemas in between showings and operating at 50 per cent capacity to distance moviegoers usually crowded shoulder to shoulder. “The strong international debut of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ is an emphatic statement that audiences around the world are ready to return to theaters where local guidelines allow,” said Rich Gelfond, chief executive of IMAX. The large-format exhibitor accounted for USD 5 million of the film’s box office.

In nine markets, including Ukraine and the Netherlands, “Tenet” did better than any previous movie directed by Nolan, including “The Dark Knight.” It was the largest opening yet in Saudi Arabia, which in 2018 ended its ban on cinemas. In the United Kingdom, “Tenet” accounted for 74 per cent of ticket sales, Warner Bros. said. “Tenet” will open this week in the U.S. and China, the two largest markets. In the U.S., the conditions remain far from ideal. About 60 per cent of theaters are currently open. The largest chains, including AMC and Regal, reopened the week prior. Any new release is trying to coax moviegoers back to the movies — any movie — in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the U.S. over the weekend, the Walt Disney Co.’ “The New Mutants,” a critically panned horror riff for Marvel made by 20th Century Fox before the Disney acquisition, led the domestic box office with an estimated USD 7 million in 2,412 locations. Cathleen Taff, Disney’s president of global distribution, called it a success for times requiring recalibrated expectations.