Christopher Nolan’s Tenet will have to make $800 million just to break even. That’s Rs 6000 cr

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming science-fiction film, Tenet, will have to make a huge amount of money at the box office, just to break even. The film’s release has been delayed on several occasions, owing to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and both Nolan and Warner Bros’ insistence that the film should be made available exclusively in theatres, and not on streaming.

But with most of the world’s theatres closed, the film cannot afford a release, as it will not be able to make the amount of money it needs to break even, let alone turn a profit. According to a new IndieWire report, the big-budget tentpole will need to make $800 million worldwide to break even in a theatrical setting. That’s Rs 6000 crore.

“It’s the film that’s meant to save theatres,” the report says. The $800 million gross suggests that the film was produced for $400 million, including production and advertising. Since roughly half the gross goes to exhibitors, the film will only start turning a profit once it crosses the $800 million mark. The reported budget for the film is $225 million, which makes it the most expensive original film of Nolan’s career. The filmmaker has also described it has his most ‘ambitious’ project.

Also read: Christopher Nolan calls Tenet the most ambitious film of his career, explains ‘time inversion’ concept

Nolan’s other big-budget original films -- Inception and Interstellar -- were produced for $160 and $165 million respectively. While Inception made $829 million at the box office, Interstellar made $677 million. Nolan’s $150 million war film, Dunkirk, made $526 million.

Tenet, starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh and Dimple Kapadia, is currently slated for an August release.

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