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 The biggest release since
schedules were torn up in March - and the only
one of 2020's potential summer blockbusters to
make it to the screen in the holiday season -
"Tenet" launched in 70 countries on Wednesday
ahead of the United States next week.
The movie has already won over some critics, but
fans could be a harder sell given changes to the
movie-going experience.
The actor Tom Cruise, whose "Top Gun: Maverick"
was pulled from a release earlier this summer,
donned a face mask to attend a preview showing
of "Tenet" in London.
"Great to be back in a movie theater everybody,"
he said on Tuesday. "I loved it."
Film critic Kaleem Aftab said "Tenet", which
cost AT&T's Warner Bros more than $200 million
to make according to reports, was exactly the
kind of film the industry needed.
"Tenet is an intelligent blockbuster made with
loads of money, with big explosions and big
bangs, exactly what we'd expect from Christopher
Nolan, who made films like 'Interstellar',
'Inception' and 'Dunkirk'," he said.
Movie theaters are where the money is made, he
added.
"If 'Tenet' is a success we're going to see a
quick rush of releases, we'll see Bond come out
for sure in November. The worry is if 'Tenet' is
a flop they'll decide to wait until next
summer," said Aftab.
While cinemas have tentatively re-opened around
the world, they have mainly relied on classics
to test COVID-secure measures, along with a few
new releases such as Russell Crowe's thriller
"Unhinged". Other films will go straight to
streaming platforms, notably Disney's "Mulan".
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 Major UK cinema chain Cineworld,
which owns Regal in the United States and Cinema
City in Europe, said it was pleased by
pre-release bookings for "Tenet", which were
tracking at a similar level to that of a
blockbuster released pre-COVID.
"We hope that it helps to restore confidence in
attending the cinema ahead of other high profile
releases later this year, including the latest
Bond, 'Wonder Women 1984', 'Black Widow' and 'A
Quiet Place II'," a spokesman said.
Tessa Street, general manager
of the Odeon Luxe in London's Leicester Square,
was confident the film starring John David
Washington and Robert Pattinson would be a hit.
"It's vitally important that 'Tenet' is
successful and that we deliver a great
experience for our guests so they want to come
back," she said.
Capacity at the cinema, which has hosted
numerous premiers, has been reduced by 40%, with
adjacent seats automatically kept empty when
film goers booked and masks required in the
foyer but not the auditorium.
Film goer William Taylor was excited to be back.
"Everyone is wearing masks, they are social
distancing in the cinema and all the staff are
wearing masks, so (I feel) pretty safe," he told
Reuters, heading to his seat.
(Writing by Paul Sandle; Editing by Mike Colett-White)
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