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Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 has been a most unconventional year at the movies. In fact, since March, theaters across the United States and beyond have been mostly shut down. Countless movies have been pushed back or delayed indefinitely. But one of the most anticipated is Tenet, the latest thriller from Christopher Nolan.

Christopher Nolan at the Kodak Film Awards
Christopher Nolan at the Kodak Film Awards | Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Kodak

Christopher Nolan’s new movie is shrouded in mystery

Much like previous Nolan releases, Tenet has been the subject of lots of speculation and excitement. Yet, despite how much fans are looking forward to the movie, there’s a lot they don’t know about Tenet. Some rumors have even suggested it’s a secret sequel to Nolan’s 2010 blockbuster, Inception.

What fans do know for certain about Tenet is that it has a stellar ensemble cast. John David Washington (BlacKkKlansman) stars as an operative working for an organization known as Tenet. And he encounters characters played by the likes of Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh, Elizabeth Debicki, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Michael Caine.

Early reactions to ‘Tenet’ are only boosting hype for the film

From Memento to Interstellar, Nolan’s movies tend to challenge audiences. Even Branagh himself admits he’s trying to wrap his head around Tenet. But, according to Deadline, the movie’s early reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. At a recent conference call, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond shared his employees’ reactions.

Several people at IMAX were involved with Tenet at the post-production phase. Their reaction was, “Oh my God – I forgot how great it was to be in a movie.” Tenet is just a beautifully filmed, beautifully made, wonderful movie. … It wasn’t just one person at one age. It was a number of IMAX employees who spontaneously said that to me.

Of course, fans should consider the source here. IMAX worked on the movie. So naturally, the company’s CEO has a vested interest in hyping the movie up. That said, Nolan has a history of delivering films worthy of the IMAX experience. By all accounts, Tenet appears to stay true to that tradition.

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When will Nolan’s latest finally arrive in theaters?

Initially, Warner Bros. set Tenet up with a July 2020 release date. But due to the pandemic, the studio pushed the movie back a few times. The summer movie season in general fell apart in 2020. At the moment, Tenet will release in 70 countries on Aug. 26, 2020. It will then hit select U.S. theaters on Sept. 3, 2020 before expanding.

Naturally, this schedule is subject to change. As the world continues to grapple with this public health crisis, Nolan’s latest movie could wind up pushed further until fall 2020 or even into 2021. However, given what Warner Bros. has invested, fans shouldn’t count on Tenet hitting on-demand anytime soon.

Tenet will — as of this writing — hit U.S. theaters on Sept. 3, 2020. Stay tuned for updates.