"Tenet" is now scheduled to reach cinemas on
Aug. 12, the company said in a statement. Most U.S. movie
theaters remain closed to help prevent the spread of the
pandemic.
It comes as there has been a recent surge in coronavirus cases
in several U.S. states.
"Warner Bros. is committed to bringing 'Tenet' to audiences in
theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and
public health officials say it's time," a spokeswoman said.
"Tenet" is one of the big-budget movies that theater operators
are counting on to lure audiences back to cinemas following a
worldwide shutdown earlier this year.
The movie is a science-fiction spy drama starring John David
Washington and Robert Pattinson from the British director of
hits like "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Inception." Little has
been revealed about the plot. The film had originally been
scheduled to debut on July 17.
Another closely watched film, Walt Disney Co's action epic "Mulan,"
is set for July 24, though theater owners worry it too will be
delayed.
Big movie chains including AMC Entertainment, Cineworld and
Cinemark have said they plan for widespread reopenings of
multiplexes in July.
But officials in Los Angeles and New York, the top two
moviegoing markets in the United States, have not given a green
light for theaters to welcome back visitors.
Hollywood studios need as many locations open as possible to
make back their investments in big-budget movies. Theater
attendance will be limited to enforce social-distancing
requirements, and it is unclear how comfortable audiences will
be with returning.
Roughly 780 indoor movie theaters are currently open in the
United States, according to tracking firm Comscore.
Warner Bros. said it planned to keep "Tenet" in theaters "over
an extended play period far beyond the norm" after its debut.
(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Ana
Nicolaci da Costa)
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