Ann Sarnoff, head of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, took in a preview screening of “Tenet” at a movie theater on Wednesday night in Connecticut.
Normally, that would not be a big deal. But with the Christopher Nolan espionage thriller leading the charge for the reopening of multiplexes in the U.S., Sarnoff was eager to check out the moviegoing experience for herself.
“I can’t tell you how exciting it was,” Sarnoff told Variety about her first visit to a theater since the pandemic forced the shutdowns of exhibitors across the U.S. in March. “It felt so good to go see a movie with friends. It felt incredibly safe. We weren’t crowded together. We all had reserved seats and we were socially distanced.”
“Tenet” is unspooling domestically this week about 2,800 screens. That’s a smaller footprint than what a typical wide release would enjoy, but it was enough to get the movie off the shelf after its original July 17 release date had to be scrapped.
Sarnoff said she’s encouraged by the returns from the film’s international debut last week. Moreover, Warner Bros. is committed to keeping “Tenet” in U.S. theaters for a good stretch in order to give prospective ticket buyers time to get comfortable with the idea of returning to multiplexes.
“We’re using the old marathon-versus-sprint approach. We’re in it for the long game,” she said. “It’s so unprecedented to launch it this way. We’re feeling good and waiting for some numbers to start coming in.”
Nolan is famously a proponent of the big-screen experience for his work, so there was little chance that Warner Bros. would have considered a VOD release strategy for “Tenet.” But that was never a source of strain between the filmmaker and the studio because both camps were in agreement that it made sense to wait until the COVID-19 conditions improved. At present about 60%-70% of theaters in the U.S. are open, with the big exception of markets like New York and Los Angeles.
“We love this movie. We really thought it deserved to be on the big screen,” she said. “We’re very grateful for the fact that we have movie theaters back now. We’re getting so much press that it’s another layer of publicity that we are grateful for. We are hearing very good indicators from our research.”
Sarnoff gave credit to AMC, Regal, Cinemark and other exhibitors for being collaborative with the studio on “Tenet” launch plans and for working to communicate the message that it is safe to return to theaters. NATO has helped drive the push for exhibition industry standards for protocols and cleaning programs between screenings.
Because there are so few new movie titles available, WB has been able to secure more screens per multiplex than they would typically command, even for a blockbuster title. At some locations, “Tenet” screenings will be as frequent as every hour.
“We’re excited that the theaters have really stepped up for this movie,” she said.
Although “Tenet” is a hopeful sign, COVID-19 outbreaks are still a major threat to health and the work of Warner Bros. Production on “The Batman” in the U.K. was shutdown again this week amid the news that a cast or crew member — reportedly star Robert Pattinson — has come down with the virus. Sarnoff declined to comment on the specifics of the situation, citing privacy concerns, and pointed to the studio’s earlier statement that it is following contract tracing and quarantine protocols.
Article by: Cynthia Littleton for Variety.
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