The good fortunes of Warner Bros. and director/writer Christopher Nolan increaseth at Tenet opens in U.S. theaters to some very surprising box office results. In another time, we might be considering these Tenet opening weekend receipts with a little less shock and perhaps more worry (It’s the lowest opening for a Nolan movie since 2006’s The Prestige.). But, alas, we live in a time where the world is dealing with a global pandemic and the debate over whether it’s truly safe to go to a movie theater rages on, so, surprise!
In light of this, we have no choice but to pick our jaws up off the floor as Warner Bros. reports on Sunday afternoon Tenet has earned $20.2 million domestically (that’s the U.S. and Canada, FYI) through Labor Day weekend. Tenet‘s earnings were gathered from a total of 2,810 locations. As movie theaters continue to earnestly reopen and keep their fingers crossed moviegoers actually return to their brick-and-mortars, it seems Tenet has the goods needed to boost business. The U.S./Canada were also among the top five highest-grossing global markets when it comes to Tenet. The official breakdown on the top five is as follows: China ($30M); U.S./Canada ($20.2M); the United Kingdom ($13.1M); France ($10.7M); Germany ($8.7M).
Tenet‘s $20.2 million domestic earnings are also helping push Nolan’s timey-wimey espionage thriller toward a $150 million global total in its second theatrical weekend. Including previews, Tenet racked up another $78.3 million internationally this weekend across 46 markets (that’s 52,913 screens). This brings Tenet‘s international total up to $126 million, representing a smash through the $100 million milestone in Week 2. Tenet‘s global total now sits at approximately $146 million, which means it’s all but certain that, by this time next weekend, I’m going to be shouting about how Tenet easily slid past $150 million at the box office over the next few days. It’s also likely that, if it manages to keep up this pace, Tenet could cross over the $500 million marker — which it absolutely needs to do in order to avoid losing money.
Elsewhere, the weekend box office marches on to mixed results. The New Mutants grossed $2.9 million domestically over the three-day holiday weekend and is expected to score a four-day weekend total of $3.5 million, bringing its domestic total up to $12.3 million through Monday. Internationally, The New Mutants earned $4.2 million internationally which, when coupled with the domestic totals, brings the 20th Century Studios movie up to $20.1 million through Sunday. Disney’s Mulan opened in nine smaller international markets leading to a $5.9 million international total. Additionally, Russell Crowe‘s road rage thriller Unhinged grossed $1.7 million domestic over the weekend, with money pulled in from 2,402 locations and bringing its domestic total to $11.3 million. Finally, The Personal History of David Copperfield chugs along with $361,000 earned domestically from 1,550 locations. This means the Dev Patel-starring dramedy has finally crossed the $1 million mark in its domestic total.
via Collider