Christopher Nolan's 'Tenet' release delayed indefinitely in new blow to cinemas

The film was to be the first big Hollywood blockbuster released after mid-March shutdowns

The release of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ has been delayed three times because of the pandemic, but will finally hit screens in the UAE this month. AP

The release of Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated Tenet has been delayed indefinitely, Warner Bros said on Monday.

The news is a further blow to cinema chains that were counting on Tenet to be one of the big blockbuster releases to help them get back to business despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The film was scheduled to be released on Sunday, August 12 (after many delays already), which would have made it the first major Hollywood movie out in US cinemas since the shutdown in mid-March.

"Unfortunately, the pandemic continues to proliferate, causing us to re-evaluate our release dates," Warner Bros Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich said.

But he suggested the film would be out this year. "We will share a new 2020 release date imminently for Tenet."

The latest postponement is the third time the release date for the big-budget movie has been changed because of the pandemic. The film was originally scheduled for release on Friday, July 17, then changed to Friday, July 31, and later to Wednesday, August 12.

The cinema business in the US has been devastated by shutdowns, laying off tens of thousands of employees and borrowing funds to stay afloat.

Walt Disney's live-action movie Mulan – the other big release planned for the summer – is currently still on track to be released for Friday, August 21 (also after many delays).