Tenet might have managed to lure a bunch of people out of their homes last weekend, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe to return to the theater. And while it would be really cool if circumstances changed at a neck-breaking pace before Wonder Woman 1984's previous October 2 release date, Warner Bros. isn’t ready to throw its gilded feature to a potentially thinner crowd just yet. So the studio is, as previously predicted, pushing WW84's release to Christmas of this year. Variety reported the news along with coupled statements from Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich and director Patty Jenkins.
“Patty is an exceptional filmmaker and with Wonder Woman 1984 she has delivered an incredibly dynamic film that moviegoers of all ages around the world will absolutely love,” said Emmerich. “We’re very proud of the film and look forward to bringing it to audiences for the holidays.” Jenkins added: “Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, I’m hopeful you won’t mind waiting just a little bit longer. With the new date on Christmas Day, we can’t wait to spend the holidays with you!”
Per Variety, Tenet’s modest Labor Day weekend haul weighed heavily into the studio’s decision to move the DC tentpole. (A $20 million gross on a movie with a reported $200 million budget might spook execs just a little bit.) In the meantime, those still willing to sojourn to the theater can check out some of the smaller releases still scheduled to hit the big screen, like Noomi Rapace’s The Secrets We Keep or Sony’s rom-com The Broken Hearts Gallery. While some may be wondering if succumbing to the preconceived allure of just streaming the thing, we imagine that the Labor Day results for Disney’s Mulan isn’t inspiring any confidence at the moment, either: Per ScreenRant, the live-action remake only managed to garner $33.5 million via premium VOD on Disney+. When you consider that the first Wonder Woman blockbuster raked in $222 million in domestic and international box offices combined, well… we’ll be waiting until Warner Bros. feels mighty enough against a pandemic, that’s for sure.