Tenet delayed again, new release date to be announced 'imminently'

We're going to have to wait even longer to learn the mysteries of Tenet.

Warner Bros. has announced that writer-director Christopher Nolan's super-secret film has been delayed again because of the coronavirus. Tenet was originally set for release on July 17, but due to the ongoing pandemic, the film was pushed to first July 31 and then Aug. 12. Warner Bros. revealed Monday that the studio had decided to delay the film again and that an announcement about a new 2020 release date would be imminent. It is possible, however, that the film may now be released in overseas territories where the virus is less prevalent before it debuts in the U.S.

Warner Bros. also announced that it is pushing the release of The Conjuring 3 from Sept. 11 of this year to June 4, 2021. Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune remain slated for Oct. 2 and Dec. 18, respectively.

“Our goals throughout this process have been to ensure the highest odds of success for our films while also being ready to support our theater partners with new content as soon as they could safely reopen,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in a statement. “We’re grateful for the support we’ve received from exhibitors and remain steadfast in our commitment to the theatrical experience around the world. Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to proliferate, causing us to reevaluate our release dates. Amidst all this continued uncertainty, we have decided to vacate the current dates for our next two releases. We will share a new 2020 release date imminently for Tenet, Christopher Nolan’s wholly original and mind-blowing feature. We are not treating Tenet like a traditional global day-and-date release, and our upcoming marketing and distribution plans will reflect that."

Tenet stars John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Caine, and Martin Donovan.

“We’re jumping off from the point of view of an espionage film, but we’re going to a number of different places,” Nolan told EW last year. “We’re crossing a few different genres in a hopefully exciting and fresh way. [Producer] Emma [Thomas] and I have put together a lot of large-scale productions, but this is certainly the biggest in terms of international reach. We shot in seven countries, all over the place, with a massive cast and huge set pieces. There’s no question, it’s the most ambitious film we’ve made.”

Related content:

• Time for Tenet: Behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan's top-secret movie
• Robert Pattinson says Tenet is 'the greatest plate-spinning trick you've ever seen'
• For your eyes only: See exclusive new photos from Christopher Nolan’s Tenet