Christopher Nolan is currently having the biggest year of an already incredible career and he’s about to rewind it back in time. Apparently, he asked Warner Bros. if it would re-release his troubled 2020 film Tenet in theatres as a way to build hype for Dune: Part Two, and it agreed.
The news comes from reporter Jeff Sneider who says Tenet will be back in theaters, and most importantly IMAX 70mm theaters where Nolan’s Oppenheimer saw such success, on February 23, with tickets going on sale later this week. The screenings might have new footage of Dune: Part Two with it. io9 has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment or clarification and will update this story if or when that happens.
What’s the link between Tenet and Dune: Part Two? Mainly, it’s the filmmakers themselves. Nolan is apparently a good friend of director Denis Villeneuve and the hope is putting his name and product alongside Villeneuve’s can only help theatres and each other. Let’s not forget too, Tenet had a more than tumultuous release and reception thanks in large part to Covid; most people never got a chance to see it in theaters, let alone full-on IMAX. There’s also the fact Nolan left his usual home, Warner Bros., for Universal with Oppenheimer, and the studio surely wants to get back on his good side.
Tenet is also a film that you do need to see more than once, and preferably in a big theatrical setting, to fully appreciate. Last year, I gave the film a rewatch and enjoyed it much more than my first viewing. I still don’t think it’s one of Nolan’s best overall, but its ambitions and central idea are second to none.
So, would you head out to theatres to see Tenet, especially if it has a new tease for Dune: Part Two? Or are you good watching Tenet at home and just seeing the Dune sequel on March 1?
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