Melinda Sue Gordon/Warner Bros.
A burning question on the minds of film-goers and cinephiles everywhere: is it safe yet? Since the closure of most theaters across America in early March, viewers have been encouraged to streamline the movie-going experience altogether by purchasing films at home. With increased accessibility to films through on-demand streaming devices like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, the necessity of the physical experience became compromised.
And with the absence of loyal patrons, global box offices have taken a major hit up until recently. Christopher Nolan’s newest theater-only film release “Tenet” has encouraged socially distanced movie-goers to return in a major way. The opening weekend alone grossed $53 million at the box office in countries like France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Germany. As many speculate, this could signal the possible return of other movies, as its performance prompted select cities across the United States to screen the new film this opening week.
Nolan’s film is anticipated to gross roughly $15-35 million in the upcoming week, as fans and casual patrons roll into theaters at expected higher rates than before. Some online ticket sales have sold-out because of increasing streaming and viewing demands (people are also buying the pre-release of the film before it premieres). An optimistic air surrounds theaters and production companies for guaranteed box-office success, specifically for Warner Bros.
Other big blockbuster releases such as Patty Jenkin’s, “Wonder Woman 1984”, and Denis Villeneuve’s, “Dune”, are set to release later this year after postponed screenings. With a similar curiosity surrounding “Tenet”, fans will be encouraged to witness the acting performances of fresh faces. John David Washington’s lead role will be a first for a Nolan directed film and a much-needed change to cinematic diversity in Hollywood. Kristen Wiig’s will introduce a new villainous character for the Wonder Woman film franchise as she portrays ‘Cheetah’. Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet’s roles in the 2020 remake “Dune” will inspire younger fans to flock to theaters. But will crowd numbers turn up as expected? And can “Tenet” save the day? We’ll have to wait out the upcoming opening weeks to find out.