Director Christopher Nolan and IMAX share a close relationship. His latest film, Tenet, was shot entirely with IMAX equipment, and Nolan has expressed that IMAX is his preferred viewing experience due to the larger screens. This bond between the two allowed a number of IMAX employees to view a screening of the film, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
"Several people at IMAX were involved with Tenet at the post-production phase," IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond said. "Their reaction was, 'Oh my God – I forgot how great it was to be in a movie.' Tenet is just a beautifully filmed, beautifully made, wonderful movie. … It wasn't just one person, at one age. It was a number of IMAX employees who spontaneously said that to me."
IMAX expects about 90 percent of its 1,400 theaters to resume business by the end of August, with 409 locations already open in China. Those theaters are expected to play a significant role in Tenet's box office run. Nolan's last film, Dunkirk, took in 22 percent of its domestic gross and 17 percent of its global revenue on IMAX screens. Gelfond experts Tenet to do much better since, unlike Dunkirk, which "was a European-centric movie," Tenet is "a more traditional action thriller blockbuster."
Gelfond is confident that theaters will not face the same difficulties that sports arenas and restaurants face in terms of reopening. "Large auditoriums with high ceilings like you see in IMAX theaters compare favorably to small, indoor spaces such as bars and restaurants. In theaters, social distancing, capacity constraints and traffic flow can be managed effectively. Inter-personal contact can be limited. Showtimes can be staggered," he said. "Sitting in a theater is a relatively static, passive respiratory experience. You sit quietly, socially distanced as per protocol, with people facing the back of each others' heads, not like a sporting event, where people are screaming and drinking and standing up. And it's not like live theater." The company is also continuing to urge theaters to institute mask requirements.
Originally scheduled to open in July, Tenet has been pushed back multiple times due to the coronavirus. The film is currently set to premiere internationally on Aug. 26 before opening in the U.S. in select cities on Sept. 3.
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Tenet stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branaugh, Dimple Kapadia, Martin Donovan, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Himesh Patel, Clémence Poésy, Denzil Smith and Michael Caine. The film opens in theaters overseas on Aug. 26. and arrives in select U.S. cities Sept. 3.
(Via Deadline)