Tenet delayed again, but Warner Bros. promises Christopher Nolan's new movie will be in cinemas longer than normal

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Tenet has been delayed for a second time. The Christopher Nolan thriller is now eyeing up an August 12 release date, with Warner Bros. saying it will no longer be “treating this as a traditional movie release,” instead opting for a longer run in cinemas.

Originally set for July 17, Tenet was recently pushed back to July 31 as part of a wave of Warner Bros. shake-ups that also saw Wonder Woman 1984 move from August to October 2. Now, Tenet is heading to cinemas on August 12 – we think?

In a statement released overnight, Warner Bros. outlined plans for the upcoming time-twisting movie, even if it doesn’t meet that August 12 release date.

“Warner Bros. is committed to bringing Tenet to audiences in theaters, on the big screen, when exhibitors are ready and public health officials say it’s time.”

The statement continues: “In this moment what we need to be is flexible, and we are not treating this as a traditional movie release. We are choosing to open the movie mid-week to allow audiences to discover the film in their own time, and we plan to play longer, over an extended play period far beyond the norm, to develop a very different yet successful release strategy.”

While nothing has been made concrete in terms of timing, expect Tenet to run well into the holiday period – and possibly beyond that if it has legs. Though one eye may be kept on the fluid, increasingly worrying situation that has seen COVID-19 cases spike once more in the US. Basically: watch this space.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.