All eyes are on Tenet, the big budget blockbuster expected to revitalize the movie theater industry during this pandemic and get movie lovers back into theater seats. But with a release happening in stages internationally first and then in major cities in the US starting August 26, distributors are less inclined to launch other films in possibly empty theaters with limited viewing options.
This week, Antebellum is another film to be delayed to an undetermined date, as its August 21 scheduled release is no longer ideal to distributer Lionsgate. The horror film stars Janelle Monae as an author who finds herself suddenly stuck in the pre-Civil War South, facing the terrible reality there and must escape before it’s too late.
Predictions say that theaters will need a variety of titles to bring life back into movie theaters in the US. August 21 was supposed to be the target date to reopen, according to Indiewire, but it looks less likely now that another title has pulled out. The film was not originally scheduled to be the predecessor to Tenet and the first wide release back in theaters, as the date was picked back in April when Tenet and other titles were scheduled for earlier in the summer. This choice to delay will likely cause theaters to stay closed longer, but will still help get theaters back on their feet when it does eventually makes its debut.