Melinda Sue Gordon; ©2020 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.(NEW YORK) — The long road to U.S. theaters for Christopher Nolan’s COVID-19-delayed Tenet will finally end when it debuts on August 31 — but there’s a “but.”

The time-bending thriller, starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, will open in theaters on that date, Warner Bros. just announced, but the catch is not every state is allowing its movie theaters to open. 

So far, major movie markets like New York, California, and New Jersey are keeping their theaters shuttered to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, even as major chains like AMC are starting to open venues elsewhere. 

Explaining his decision, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo noted, “a movie theater is less essential and poses a high risk. It is congregant. It is one ventilation system. You are seated there for a long period of time. Even if you are at 50% capacity with one or two seats between the two of you, this is a risk situation and movie theaters are not that high on the list of essentials.”

In a statement, Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros. president of domestic distribution, said the studio “is proud to support our partners in exhibition as they reopen their doors. And there could be no better film to welcome audiences back to a true big-screen experience than Tenet.”

Tenet will open in late August in many overseas markets, and August 27 in Canada.

By Stephen Iervolino
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