Christopher Nolan movie 'Tenet' to open in 70 countries starting Aug. 26

Director Christopher Nolan's thriller "Tenet," delayed several times by the coronavirus pandemic, will debut in cinemas in over 70 countries starting Aug. 26, AT&T Inc's Warner Bros. movie studio said on Monday.

The film will open in select U.S. cities over Labor Day weekend, Warner Bros. said in a statement. Labor Day is Sept. 7.

The release date is welcome news for movie theater operators, who are counting on big-budget movies such as "Tenet" to help lure audiences out of their homes during the pandemic.

Theaters around the world closed in mid-March to help prevent the coronavirus from spreading. Many have reopened around the world with capacity limits and other safeguards, though most cinemas in the United States remain shuttered.

The AMC and Cineworld movie theater chains last week pushed back the reopening date for their U.S. theaters to at least mid-August from the end of July.

"Tenet" is a science-fiction spy drama starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson from the British director of hits like "The Dark Knight Rises" and "Inception." Little has been revealed about the plot. The film had originally been scheduled to debut on July 17.