Tenet is heading to China, as his original sci-fi films (Interstellar and Initial) are more popular in China than his Dark Knight trilogy.
Chris Nolan is firing the big five to zero today, and we’ve flagged the instance through the 13th-day dissection of the national box workplace for Tenet. Unfortunately, the cases were filed and the film will now play in 70 foreign markets the week of August 26 and will be released in the United States starting September 3. Make only 71 foreign markets, because the film was presented and accepted for a work in mainland China. So I guess, as we noticed last weekend, that the total “less than two hours” rule was less of a code than rules or suggestions. In terms of new and old box office hits, 2.5 hours (or more) like Interstellar, Ford vs. Ferrari, Inception and Avatar are preparing to open in the recently reopened Chinese market.
The film “Time Reversal” through John David Washington / Robert Pattinson / Elizabeth Debicki can count on China among its first territories, which will actually give a special touch to its debut abroad. Nolan’s films sometimes got along well in China, compared to what was considered a good fortune at the time of their respective release. Dunkirk earned $51 million in China, the third-largest territory for the World War II actor, which raised $529 million, North America ($188 million) and the United Kingdom ($81 million). Interstellar earned $188 million in the domestic market, $122 million in China and $677 million internationally in 2014. Inception contributed $292 million in the domestic market, $68 million in China and $824 million internationally in 2010. Memento ($39 million internationally in 2001), Insomnia ($113 million in 2002) and The Prestige ($110 million in 2006) did not play in China.
Batman Begins earned $205 million nationally (compared to $72 million on Wednesday and Sunday debuts) and only $1 million in China for a $371 million deal in 2005. The Dark Knight did not play in China, allegedly due to the secondary plot of the first act involving a Chinese gangster running with the Gotham City Mafia. It grossed $533 million domestically and $1 billion internationally in the summer of 2008, making it the second-largest national benefit of the Titanic at the time and the fourth film to surpass the world’s $1 billion after Titanic, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and Pirates of the Caribbean: The Chest of the Dead. It and Dead Man’s Chest ($1.066 billion in 2006) were the most successful films released in China before Joker ($1.074 billion) last year.
The Dark Knight Rises featured 0 (0.00) Chinese gangsters and earned $53 million in China in 2012, as well as $448 million nationwide, $1.084 billion worldwide. That’s why China is a very vital territory for the film Nolan. Yes. That said, Tenet is/should be a global success. And to the extent that Chris Nolan is a famous filmmaker, a “movie star” whose popularity and reputation compensate for the lack of accredited characters or existing ownership, the 3 Batman films constitute only $54 million of Nolan’s total profit in China.
Nolan’s features have grossed about $295 million in China, 18.3% of which came here from the Dark Knight trilogy. Heck, Dark Knight’s most successful film (albeit eight years ago) won less in China than the Interstellar and Inception of all time. The Dark Knight Rises will pay a little more than Dunkirk, but you don’t want me to tell you that Tenet is being driven as a non-secular cousin of sci-fi actors and not war-based melodrama. To the extent that there is at least one component of Nolan’s trusty fan base due to the overwhelming popularity of his 3 Batman films, they are simply not remotely driving his good fortune in the world’s largest foreign market. In China, Nolan is popular despite Batman movies, not them.
The Dark Knight films would probably have won a lot more in China if they had been released after 2017, but Nolan’s popularity in China is due more to his impressive sci-fi originals than to his acclaimed Batman trilogy. This makes sense in an industry that has come to original blockbusters (or a new adaptation for you) like Monster Hunter, The Mermaid, Detective Chinatown and The Wandering Earth. With all the communication about the franchise-friendly Hollywood films to be flagged in China, Chinese moviegoers seem far more willing to embrace the unknown than American audiences. It would be as if Rian Johnson’s Knives Out ($28 million) earned more than The Last Jedi ($42 million), (not to be a fool), surpassed The Rise of Skywalker ($21 million) in China.
We can only speculate how Tenet will play, presuming all goes well, if it opens in China on the week of August 26 along with the other 70 overseas territories. We’re still talking about limited seating, more sporadic showtimes and a ban on concessions, although circumstances could improve enough in the next four weeks to negate some of that. But if history is any indication, Tenet will make more money in China than any territory than North America. Hell, with America potentially only getting the movie a limited theatrical capacity, China could be Tenet’s biggest-grossing territory. 25%/75% studio/theater split notwithstanding, China is a key territory for Tenet because Chinese moviegoers became Nolan fans due to his original sci-fi spectaculars and despite his acclaimed blockbuster superhero movies.
I studied the film industry, academically and informally, and with a workplace analysis, for about 30 years. I’ve written a lot about everything
I studied the film industry, academically and informally, and with a workplace analysis, for about 30 years. I’ve written extensively on all these topics over the past 11 years. My points of sale for film reviews, work box reviews and movie bias scholarships have included The Huffington Post, Salon and Film Threat. Follow me on @ScottMendelson and like it on The Ticket Booth on Facebook.