Christopher Nolan worried that studios are ‘drawing the wrong conclusions’ from Tenet release

‘I’m worried that they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-Covid expectations,’ director said

Christopher Nolan has shared his “worries” that film studios may draw the wrong conclusions from Tenet’s reduced box office takings.

The science-fiction thriller was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic before it was finally released in the UK on 26 August, when cinemas reopened after lockdown.

Tenet succeeded expectations in the international box office, but opening in the US in a time when 45 per cent of film venues in the country were still closed, it was not able to meet pre-pandemic predictions and made $53m (£40m) in total.

Speaking about the movie’s release for the first time, Nolan told the Los Angeles Times that while he was “thrilled” with the film’s takings across the world, he was concerned about the message Warner Bros would take from the reduced sales from a Hollywood tent-pole.

“I am worried that the studios are drawing the wrong conclusions from our release – that rather than looking at where the film has worked well and how that can provide them with much needed revenue, they’re looking at where it hasn’t lived up to pre-Covid expectations,” Nolan said.

Nolan added: “Long term, movie-going is a part of life, like restaurants and everything else. But right now, everybody has to adapt to a new reality.”

The coronavirus pandemic has had a damaging impact on the film industry, with other major releases including No Time To Die, Dune and Avatar 2 all being pushed back.