'TENET' COVID-19 Second Wave → Release and Paid Screening as Scheduled "Contactless Press Conference Canceled"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Isul] Amid growing tension as domestic films such as 'The Outlaws' and 'Space Sweepers,' which are set to be released soon, postpone their events due to signs of a second wave of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus infection), attention is focused on the trajectory of the Hollywood blockbuster 'Tenet' (director Christopher Nolan), which had attracted early interest.

Earlier, Warner Bros. Korea announced the release of 'Tenet' on August 26 and stated that premiere screenings, i.e., paid preview screenings, would be held on the 22nd and 23rd. Although this was criticized as an irregular release, they insisted on proceeding as planned.

Warner Bros. Korea promoted the move by saying, "We deeply feel that Hollywood films are desperately needed to draw more audiences to theaters, so we chose an innovative method," but criticism followed that advancing the release date by four days was an excessive and irregular move. The Korean Film Council also sent official letters to theaters and distributors stating that "this constitutes an irregular screening that undermines fair competition."

Recently, the number of new COVID-19 cases has rapidly spread nationwide, especially in the Seoul and Gyeonggi metropolitan areas, recording triple digits for four consecutive days. As mass infections have simultaneously occurred in multi-use facilities such as churches, cafes, restaurants, markets, and schools, authorities have urged special caution, warning that a second wave may come.

Considering this, 'The Outlaws' has temporarily postponed its release date and preview screening schedule, and 'Space Sweepers' announced that its offline production report meeting on the 18th would be changed to a non-face-to-face, online event. Various stage greetings have also been canceled one after another.

The 'Tenet' team had planned a press and distribution preview screening on the 19th and an online conference on the 20th but is currently reviewing the situation with theaters and discussing it again. A representative said, "We are discussing whether to proceed with the press event," but mentioned that a live conference where reporters hold microphones and ask questions is unlikely to happen. However, they stated, "The release and premiere screenings will proceed as scheduled."

Meanwhile, the Korean Film Council has temporarily suspended the 6,000 won ticket discount event, which was conducted for the second time, as of the 16th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.