While Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is deservedly getting a lot of attention right now, the director’s previous movie, Tenet, will be heading to IMAX theaters for one week.
The move by Warner Bros. appears to have two aims: the first is to try to get Nolan to make movies for them again, as he was vocally frustrated that Tenet’s September 2020 release was hurt by the pandemic (Oppenheimer was distributed by Universal Pictures); the second is that the movie will serve as a lead-up to the premiere of Denis Villenueve’s Dune: Part Two, with Tenet attendees getting a sneak peek of the sequel film. And according to The Hollywood Reporter, there’s also a third reason: Nolan and Villeneuve just like each other and want to help each other out.
Whatever the motivations, the one-week IMAX release will start on February 23, 2024. Dune: Part Two releases right when the Tenet run ends, on March 1.
For those of you who need a refresher on Tenet, describing the movie is a feat within itself (if you saw that video of Nolan’s Peloton instructor bashing his work, she was referencing this film, in fact). The incomplete description, however, is that a secret agent (John David Washington) is sent through time to prevent World War III from happening. The movie is mind-bendingly complex and an interesting addition to Nolan’s oeuvre. And this one-week run will likely be the only time in the foreseeable future you’ll be able to see it on the big screen.
