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Box office: Tenet hits $200 million globally; Mulan nears $40 million in Disney+-less markets
Christopher Nolan's Tenet has crossed $200 million globally, with the bulk of box-office receipts coming from markets outside of the United States. Per Variety, the film's domestic debut of $20 million was somewhat inflated due to preview showings and the long Labor Day weekend. The international total (from countries that have a better grip on the spread of COVID-19) stands at $177.5 million, while the worldwide tally clocks in at $207 million.
In reality, the time-inverting spy-fi blockbuster only made $9 million in U.S. sales between the traditional Friday to Sunday bracket. Warner Bros. is reportedly not releasing daily gross numbers, so as not to have Tenet be classified as a financial failure. Other studios (like Sony Pictures, for instance) don't plan on releasing any major projects into theaters as the health crisis continues to prevent large gatherings. Despite the fact that 65-75% of theaters have reopened in America, many moviegoers don't feel comfortable returning to them yet, even with certain safety measures in place. It also doesn't help that crucial exhibitor markets in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are still closed.
Disney is seeing some appreciable returns for its live-action Mulan remake in markets where Disney+ is not available. The film, which can be accessed by streaming subscribers for a premium fee of $29.99, has brought in $37.6 million worldwide. The Mouse House plans to make the film free for Disney+ subscribers in early December. Its release last weekend prompted nearly 70% of downloads of the service.
Lastly, The New Mutants (also released by Disney) is still struggling at the box office, with an additional $2.1 million in domestic ticket sales, bringing the at-home cache to $15.3 million. Abroad, it added another $3.6 million, for a global haul of $29 million. While the X-Men horror project from writer-director Josh Boone doesn't need to make a fortune in order to recoup production costs (it cost less than $100 million to make), the less-than-favorable reviews probably aren't driving sales. The long-delayed movie currently holds a 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.
