Christopher Nolan pushing for Tenet to be released in cinemas in July, not Warner Bros

It could be the only new release being shown in cinemas should they reopen in time

Pretty much every single film lined up for a summer release has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic bar one: Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

This came as a surprise considering the news that other Warner Bros films, including the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, recently had their release dates shifted.

However, Tenet has had its release date fixed at 17 July and it’s now being reported that this is squarely down to the Dark Knight director himself.

In a company conference call, Variety reports that IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond revealed Nolan is the one urging Tenet to keep its July release date.

“Chris really would like to be coming out with the film that opens theatres,” Gelfond said, adding: “I don’t know anyone in America who is pushing harder than Chris Nolan to have the theatres open and to have his movie released in July when it’s scheduled for.

There could be several reasons behind Nolan’s thinking. Firstly, he has long been a champion of the theatrical experience and would never opt to release his film at home, much like Universal has been doing to the chagrin of cinema chains, including Cineworld and Odeon.

The other reason is because, should lockdown guidelines be eased in July, people might be hesitant to return to the cinema. Releasing Tenet at a time when every other release has been delayed would encourage people to do so and help keep cinema businesses going.

Now, the film’s current box office projections are rather low for a Nolan film because of the quarantine, however moving ahead with the Tenet release date could be a savvy move considering it will be the only new film being shown. With most blockbusters delayed until later this year, Tenet would benefit from being the only choice people have when walking into cinemas should they reopen (until the following week when Disney’s live-action version of Mulan is released).

John David Washington in new Christopher Nolan film 'Tenet' (Warner Bros Pictures)

Its fiercest competitor, Top Gun: Maverick, was due to be released on the same day, but will now come out in December instead. It’s a gamble from Nolan, especially for a film costing an eye-watering $225m (£173.4m), but one that could pay off in a big way.

As it stands, Tenet will be released in cinemas on 17 July 2020.