- A National Association of Theatre Owners representative confirmed to Business Insider on Thursday that the organization expects 90% of the global theatrical market to be open by July 17, which is the current release date for "
Tenet ." - The
Warner Bros. movie, directed by Christopher Nolan, was the only majorHollywood release to stick with its original date amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Warner Bros. has yet to move Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie, "Tenet," from its July 17 release date and there may be good reason for that.
The National Association of Theatre Owners, which represents
A representative for Nolan did not respond to a request for comment. Warner Bros. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
"Tenet" was the only major Hollywood movie to stick with its original release date as theaters throughout the world closed and movie studios delayed movies because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Speculation has swirled about whether Warner Bros. would delay the movie. Its most recent promotional trailer, released last month, only said that the movie was "Coming to theaters," though copy included with the official YouTube video said the release date was still July 17.
Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said that Warner Bros. and Nolan were "optimistic" during the company's earnings call on Wednesday.
"We've been in close contact with Warner Bros. and they remain optimistic and positive as well as Christopher Nolan about the July 17 opening," Zoradi said. "Of course, it depends on the continued positive movement due to the decline of COVID-19 and government restrictions being reduced."
Five of Cinemark's Texas theaters will reopen on June 19 for a "test phase" with plans to expand to approximately a third of its theaters the following weekend in bigger markets. Cineworld, which owns the Regal theater chain, expects all of its theaters to reopen in July.
Shawn Robbins, the chief analyst at Box Office Pro, told Business Insider that the number one priority for theaters is safety, but after that, theaters are also thinking about how long they can stay open and still survive (AMC Theatres, the largest theater chain in the world, said on Wednesday it had "substantial doubt" about its ability to stay in business).
"Theaters can't behave like they used to but they can still meet demand" with the necessary precautions, Robbins said, including limited-capacity seating.
Other major movies still on the release calendar this summer include Disney's "Mulan" remake on July 24 and Warner Bros.' "Wonder Woman 1984" on August 14.