“Tenet” is Cutting Short its Drive-in Screenings!

 Warner Bros. and director of the film “Tenet” Christopher Nolan have decided to limit the drive-in screenings in those areas where conventional theaters will not be opened.

Warner Bros. and the visionary director Christopher Nolan might be very protective of their scripts and are undoubtedly wary of the chances of leaks from drive-ins but contrary to popular belief they may not have reduced Tenet’s Drive-in screenings for this reason.

There are people out there who still believe that they have done this to protect the plot twists and complex story structure, but when we look at it objectively, it will just be some crazy optimism if they think they can save the leaks by doing this.

There are several other reasons which may have influenced their decision.  

Presentation

Christopher Nolan is not a very big fan of TV series for a reason. He is all about seeing movies where they are meant to be seen and displaying films where they are intended to be viewed.

Drive-ins are not an ideal place to appreciate cinematic brilliance.

“Tenet” is shot in 65 mm negative format and the cinematography has been done using an Imax camera. The quality of the picture is being expected to outclass Dunkirk, so Nolan wants everyone to see the effect of Imax cameras. The best place to do that will always be theatres.

So, there are areas such as New York and Los Angeles where the theaters will not be opened on September the 3rd, so we can expect everyone in those areas to turn up at drive-ins. He wants to reduce the number of people watching the film in sub-optimal format.   

Indoor Theaters are More Vital

Frankly, Warner Bros. does not care about the drive-ins. In 2019, where there was no pandemic, the gross profit obtained from drive-in was less than 3 per cent. The number of fans who want to witness a film at drive-ins is minute. So, it would be foolish enough to count on them for the success of “Tenet.”

Re-opening of indoor theatres is much more significant. It is the numbers of indoor theatres that can make or break the cinematic industry.

It could also be a marketing strategy. If the fans want to see “Tenet” and they have no place to go, they can pressurize the authorities to make things happen.

They Don’t Want Indoor Theaters to Try Temporary Things

Some indoor theatres are trying to be more innovative and are searching for ways to screen films safely “outdoors.”

All they need to get is licensing.

If more and more drive-ins start generating the numbers, indoor theaters will be compelled to compete, and more and more theaters would seek to receive licensing to play movies safely outside the conventional theatre room.

Warner Bros. is confident enough that in no universe they would let that happen.

Distributors Want to Protect Indoor Theaters

Cinema industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and the indoor theatres which may have started as drive-ins are now an essential thread between the audience and the filmmakers. Releasing films in drive-ins could draw a large chunk of the audience towards drive-in which will be devastating news for both the indoor theaters and Warner Bros.

Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros. and indoor theatres depend on each other for survival so they may want to protect each other in these unprecedented times.

Furthermore, most of the drive-ins that exist today are in single unit operation, so a long- term partnership with them is not a very reliable business idea. Drive-ins at best could be a surviving substitute, but surely nobody wants them to take the place of indoor theatres.

Jackson Henry. I’m a writer living in USA. I am a fan of technology, arts, and reading. I’m also interested in writing and education. You can read my blog with a click on the button above.

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