Tenet Advanced Ticket Sales Beating Previous Christopher Nolan Movies
Tenet advanced ticket sales are currently outpacing previous Christopher Nolan movies. Due to a unique deal with Warner Bros., director Nolan stands to make a nice chunk of change from the box office, which might be part of why he's been pushing so hard for a wide release despite COVID-19 guidelines. Beyond that, however, Tenet's box office performance will serve as a barometer for the successful return of movie theaters.
Tenet was set to be one of the biggest blockbusters of the summer, the movie Nolan has privately been working on for some time. Of course, the coronavirus pandemic scuttled that dream, causing the rollout of the film to be delayed numerous times. There's still some mystery about how that rollout will look, with different regulations for public gatherings varying by state and municipality. The movie is performing well in the United Kingdom, though, which is one positive sign for Nolan's flick.
Now there's another positive sign. According to Deadline, advance tickets are outpacing the sales of other Nolan films Interstellar and Dunkirk, in the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom and Australia. Movio reports there have been many more single ticket purchases in advance for Tenet, though it's worth noting that advance ticket sales were not as popular back when Interstellar was released in 2014.
Unsurprisingly, the number of advance ticket sales in the United States is varying based on location, a function of which states currently have open economies. For instance, 45% of the advance ticket sales for Tenet have come from southern states, making up a higher percentage than the region made up for Interstellar or Dunkirk. Advance ticket sales are also down significantly in metropolitan areas, which are much more likely to not have open theaters as Tenet prepares for its upcoming release. For example, movie theaters in New York remain closed due to health concerns stemming from the pandemic, and there's no timetable for them to reopen.
Tickets for Tenet first went on sale less than two weeks ago, so there's still time for box office numbers to increase. But at a time where reservations are more common to avoid overcrowding, advance ticket sales are going to dictate the box office success or failure of a movie. Nothing is more important than the safety of consumers and that remains a hotly-contested topic. All eyes will remain firmly on the national rollout of Tenet ahead of its wide release on September 3.
Source: Deadline