Wanted some opinions on this. Looks as if as currently scheduled, Tenet would be the first big movie release in July. Are expectations that it stays in its current slot or do you think it moves dates? I could see it being marketed as a come back to the theater event.

Just FYI, we've been discussing this often and at length in these two threads...

https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/2936071
https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3099393

But to consolidate and answer your question in as much detail as I can, according to recent reports, Warner Bros. is apparently making a decision this week. The reason for the final call at this juncture is that if it does stay on July 17, the marketing campaign needs to begin ASAP. They've basically waited as long as they can.

Last week, I would have said there was an 85% chance Tenet stays on July 17. News, rumors, and the general attitude seemed to point to Nolan and WB being very bullish on that date. Come hell or high water, Nolan, especially, wants it to happen. And while WB still very much wants Tenet to be *the* movie that marks a return to theaters, in July, I've been getting the feeling the past few days that they're going to balk. I'm seeing an increasing amount of voices say that it's just not safe, it's irresponsible, move it to the fall, etc. Whether they cave to that pressure, I don't know. WB is caught between a rock and a hard place, because the pressure and dependency from theaters to release it July is equally as great, if not far more. If Tenet bails from July 17, then Mulan will likely bail from July 24, and theaters will then suddenly have to go another month until a big new release with Wonder Woman 1984 on August 12.

That said, if Tenet is delayed, I would be shocked if it moves out of 2020. My guess would be that it's pushed back to October or November, so it's not like a delay would be all that much. Three or so months wouldn't be the end of the world. Gun to my head, right now, I say that's exactly what happens, Tenet moves to October, and WW84 ends up being the big welcome back to theaters in August. I realize, in the grand scheme of things, the situation is likely going to be as safe in July as it will be August, so it's not like it really matters. But I just get the feeling that, as of now, for whatever reason, July is still "too soon" for a lot of people, industry pundits included. Not just psychologically, but logistically as well.

I really, really hope I'm wrong, though. Come next week, I would love nothing more than for WB to drop a massive Tenet trailer with a big, bold July 17 reassertion. I legitimately believe that a move like that would could change (at least a portion of) the national psyche instantly. In the same way the NBA cancelling the season was the "Oh, sh*t" moment that woke everyone up to the seriousness of the situation, I think a Tenet trailer could be that, to a certain degree, for our return to some kind of new normal.

All that said, no matter what, I think movies will be back in-full by Labor Day weekend at the very latest, with A Quiet Place Part II. July and August will remain a gray area for the next few days/weeks, but I would bet just about anything that Labor Day weekend is a lock for us seeing new movies in theaters again, be it week seven or week one of doing so.

Was typing that up as you posted this.

Will California be open?

Because that's your answer.

Sorry, didn't see the other threads

We're already starting to reopen. By July, I would be shocked if theaters are still closed.

I wonder if theaters will implement a "every other" seat kind of policy..or be forced to.

100%. And probably even more than every other seat. Granted, couples and families will be able to sit together, but it's looking like most theaters will be forcing two to three seats between people/groups, and maybe even allowing only every other row. I also bet these restrictions last until the fall, if not through the end of the year, potentially.