Christopher Nolan's Tenet to be released in August – but not in the US

Warner Bros has announced that Christopher Nolan’s much-anticipated sci-fi thriller Tenet will be released in international markets before the US.

An unusual new strategy will see the film launch in 70 countries from 26 August, including the UK and France, before a release in select US cities on 3 September. The exact cities are still to be confirmed.

America’s biggest cinema chain, AMC, has announced reopening plans for “mid-to-late August” while Regal and Cinemark have yet to unveil their strategies. While many independent chains have reopened in some states, New York and California have yet to see any indoor cinemas resume operation. It is estimated that less than 20% of cinemas are currently open in the US.

Tenet, which stars John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, was originally slated for release in July yet, with the majority of cinemas closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was one of many high-profile delays. Today’s announcement marks the third release date for the film.

Other summer tentpole releases have either shifted to later in the year or into 2021. DC’s Wonder Woman 1984 is set for October, Marvel’s Black Widow for November and the latest Fast & Furious instalment will arrive next year. Disney recently took Mulan off the schedule with an announcement pending. Other films, including Greyhound, The Lovebirds and The High Note, premiered digitally instead.

The boom in drive-in cinemas in the US has seen a number of horror breakout hits, including this last weekend with the minor success of The Rental, which is currently the country’s No 1 film, making $420,000 from 251 locations.