"Tenet" - 2020.. Nolan's new mindbender
- Thread starter Flying Spaghetti Monster
- Start date
There are way too many bad faith hot takes trying to portray Nolan as actively trying to endanger people in this situation. Just saw a very snarky Collider article along those lines. It's outrage clickbait, pure and simple.
First of all, it's a rapidly evolving situation and we simply do not have all the facts of what's going on behind the scenes.
Second, releasing the movie in a social-distanced enforced environment is not at all the same as a full-on reopening of movie theaters. Let's be honest...sitting 6 feet apart from people in a movie theater is likely a lot safer than standing shoulder to shoulder in gatherings of thousands, with people shouting. I am not editorializing that in any way, but let's be real about the risk level here with social distance guidelines and masks. It would likely be more similar to going to the supermarket, which many of us have already been doing. I'd argue a bit safer, since there's no way to always maintain distance in those aisles with people moving around. At least in a theater, you'd be seated most of the time. I'd personally avoid using a bathroom.
And last...this is ultimately 100% WB's decision to make. Nolan is a voice in the room, and if there is a gameplan to reopen theaters in accordance with the health guidelines then it's not surprising he's going to be an advocate for that. But he still only has so much power in the situation. If they choose to release it in July, appeasing him is just one factor of many that they are taking into consideration. It this their responsibility as the studio to make the final call.
First of all, it's a rapidly evolving situation and we simply do not have all the facts of what's going on behind the scenes.
Second, releasing the movie in a social-distanced enforced environment is not at all the same as a full-on reopening of movie theaters. Let's be honest...sitting 6 feet apart from people in a movie theater is likely a lot safer than standing shoulder to shoulder in gatherings of thousands, with people shouting. I am not editorializing that in any way, but let's be real about the risk level here with social distance guidelines and masks. It would likely be more similar to going to the supermarket, which many of us have already been doing. I'd argue a bit safer, since there's no way to always maintain distance in those aisles with people moving around. At least in a theater, you'd be seated most of the time. I'd personally avoid using a bathroom.
And last...this is ultimately 100% WB's decision to make. Nolan is a voice in the room, and if there is a gameplan to reopen theaters in accordance with the health guidelines then it's not surprising he's going to be an advocate for that. But he still only has so much power in the situation. If they choose to release it in July, appeasing him is just one factor of many that they are taking into consideration. It this their responsibility as the studio to make the final call.
That's not true at all. In fact, it's been reported that the mass protests have not produced a COVID spike, both because they're outdoors and because the protestors are responsible and use masks and hand hygiene. Face masks have been shown to be the single most effective means of reducing infection.
Movie theaters are actually at a pretty high risk level because they involve being in an enclosed indoor space with other people for an extended length of time, with recirculated air.
Grocery shopping is only at risk level 3 due to the adaptations that have been made, though only if masks are consistently worn (which has not been my experience at my local grocery store).
That's actually part of the problem -- sitting still in one enclosed place. The more time you spend in the same air volume, the higher the virus load you can pick up if virus-laden aerosols are present. Staying in any public indoor space for more than 15 minutes at a time is not a good idea.
Not so much of an issue with a respiratory illness mostly transmitted through exhaled aerosols. The best defense (besides other people's masks) is regular and thorough handwashing, and that's something you'd do in a bathroom anyway, riiiiight?? (Although not if you use those air blowers to dry your hands. Those things are terrible -- they make things less sanitary by blowing germy droplets all over, and the only reason they're used is that it's cheaper than keeping paper towel dispensers supplied.)
Why does it go down after July 31?
Obviously he's not purposefully making trying to get people to get sick, before the money issue I just didn't really see why it was so important it be released in July, when it's still questionable if we'll even be in a place where theaters will be able to open then. I'd just hate to see his insistence that it be out in July lead to a rise in COVID cases when everyone rushes out to the theaters to see it.
Another problem with theaters, is that unless they ban eating and drinking, everybody is going to be taking their masks off once they start on the snacks and drinks.
Good point. And they likely won't ban eating and drinking since an overwhelming majority of the theatre's profits comes from the concession stand. It's such a large percentage that it literally makes no sense to open the theatres without the concession stand.
Just to illustrate how much the theatre depends on the concession stand, in situations where there's a screw up that results in people being unable to see a movie, my local theatres will hand out vouchers allowing customers to attend two free movies with a guest (which even includes movies that have the "no passes accepted" disclaimer attached) but only a 10% discount on one purchase from the concession stand.
AMC is not going to be requiring people to wear masks because they "don't want to be drawn into a political controversy", and don't want to upset people who don't want to wear masks.
I find it a little sad that wanting to try to get people to be safe and not get each other sick is now a political issue.
I'm definitely not going to any AMC theaters.
I find it a little sad that wanting to try to get people to be safe and not get each other sick is now a political issue.
I'm definitely not going to any AMC theaters.
AMC have already reversed that decision after the (very understandable and easily foreseen) backlash and will now require their guests to wear masks.
"I refuse to wear a mask! Forcing me to cover part of my body in public is oppression!"
"Uh, dude, you're wearing clothes."
"Uh, dude, you're wearing clothes."
It won't come out August 12th either.
Why are they even playing this game? Don't give us dates. Just say "postponed", we all get it.
Why are they even playing this game? Don't give us dates. Just say "postponed", we all get it.
Or if they are going to try and commit to a date, just bite the bullet and make it sometime in 2021. It's not like many of 2021's blockbusters are likely to meet their scheduled release dates anyway.
You know, something about that "has to be released in July for Nolan to make a shitload of money" thing sounds false to me.
Wouldn't such a clause be more about a percentage of the profits upon release, regardless of when the release would be?
And even if it were something like that, considering Nolan's share would be a percentage, wouldn't it be obvious that the sooner and less secure the release the less people would go see it, so the absolute amount would be less than a later release regardless of the higher percentage?
Edit: See, this is why it's always a good idea to check the linked article. From Deadline:
Here’s what we know at this time: solid sources hear that Warner Bros needs at least 80% of the world’s theaters to be open, including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (which rep 25% of a pic’s opening weekend), in order to keep Tenet on its original release date.
If such signs don’t appear positive in the next three weeks or sooner, Tenet moves. In order to make bank on a $200M production, Warners needs the globe’s exhibition infrastructure intact.
...
A film finance source tells Deadline that given the pricey economics of Tenet, it requires a domestic release of 3,5K theaters including most of the major cities, and more than 30K screens worldwide. “None of that will be known until much closer to release,” our source adds. Also we hear that Nolan has 20% of Tenet‘s first dollar gross, which makes the need for a huge gross even greater for Warner Bros.
There is nothing in that article that states that Nolan's 20 % goes down after July, only that it goes down after a certain time after release. If the release is pushed back, so is the point when Nolan's percentage goes down. It is actually in Nolan's financial interest to push the release back to a safer window.
Wouldn't such a clause be more about a percentage of the profits upon release, regardless of when the release would be?
And even if it were something like that, considering Nolan's share would be a percentage, wouldn't it be obvious that the sooner and less secure the release the less people would go see it, so the absolute amount would be less than a later release regardless of the higher percentage?
Edit: See, this is why it's always a good idea to check the linked article. From Deadline:
Here’s what we know at this time: solid sources hear that Warner Bros needs at least 80% of the world’s theaters to be open, including New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (which rep 25% of a pic’s opening weekend), in order to keep Tenet on its original release date.
If such signs don’t appear positive in the next three weeks or sooner, Tenet moves. In order to make bank on a $200M production, Warners needs the globe’s exhibition infrastructure intact.
...
A film finance source tells Deadline that given the pricey economics of Tenet, it requires a domestic release of 3,5K theaters including most of the major cities, and more than 30K screens worldwide. “None of that will be known until much closer to release,” our source adds. Also we hear that Nolan has 20% of Tenet‘s first dollar gross, which makes the need for a huge gross even greater for Warner Bros.
There is nothing in that article that states that Nolan's 20 % goes down after July, only that it goes down after a certain time after release. If the release is pushed back, so is the point when Nolan's percentage goes down. It is actually in Nolan's financial interest to push the release back to a safer window.
Ahh. Thanks for clearing that up.
Agreed. Either announce its delay by a year or more, or send it to VOD. Surely Nolan and WB should be able to match the integrity of the Fast & Furious franchise...
Wouldn't that make it more likely that theaters would be opened and thus new movies released?
I think StCoop is referring to potential long-term negative consequences, as in the ultimate worse case scenario which would prevent American movies from even being made.
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