Tenet was the film everyone was hoping to revive cinemas. It constantly got delayed before sticking to an August release. Some international markets have seen a recovery with cinemas opening throughout August. China has rebounded immensely with its locally-produced film The Eight Hundred making more than $200 million. This looked like a good sign that cinemas could spark Box Office numbers and keep the market afloat after months of lockdown. The international numbers are in and it is looking good that Christopher Nolan was so focused on it remaining a cinema release.
The film now has opened in 40 markets including Canada. It has now made around $54 million in its opening weekend. Keep in mind that the film hasn’t opened in China yet, which is the second-largest market. While these numbers aren’t record-breaking, it is still a massive start in these uncertain times. Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich gave the following statement regarding its opening numbers.
We are off to a fantastic start internationally and couldn’t be more pleased. Christopher Nolan has once again delivered an event worthy motion picture that demands to be seen on the big screen, and we are thrilled that audiences across the globe are getting the opportunity to see Tenet.
This could be a sign that cinemas will be able to recuperate after lockdown measures have been lowered. Some markets are hit harder than others, so these will easily fluctuate. The film cost $200 million to make. So, to break-even, it would need to make at least $400 million. This does not include various marketing costs that were also affected by the pandemic. We will see how it performs in China, but the odds are it will draw some attention in the empty market. Right now, the focus will remain on international markets as the U.S. is still trying to recover. Tenet will be the benchmark for others in the industry. It will determine if films like Wonder Woman 1984 or Black Widow will stick to their 2020 release dates.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
