Warner Bros Sends "Off The Record" Press Release To Journalists Asking Them Not Write Negatively About TENET

Warner Bros Sends "Off The Record" Press Release To Journalists Asking Them Not Write Negatively About TENET

With the recent news of various release date changes, particularly in the late summer, WB now seems to be asking the press discreetly to cut them a break.

By XMenGiveItToYa - Jul 20, 2020 01:07 PM EST
Filed Under: Other
Source: Dan Solomon

As Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated Tenet once again is delayed for an unknown date (with a possible international release being slated for months before the domestic release), Warner Bros included in their press release nine "off the record" paragraphs for journalists to not share with the public. Naturally, as this is not how "off the record" statements work (a statement must be agreed by both parties to be off the record, not just one party saying "this is off the record", especially not in a press release), it was soon posted online by Texas Monthly writer Dan Solomon.

In the release, Warner Bros claims journalists have been unfair about Tenet's reporting, saying that “journalists covering film should have a vested interest in the health of our business” and that “fair coverage should reflect that [the reporters covering the industry need us to succeed]”, as well as being upset at the claim that Tenet would require 800 million at the domestic box office to break even, though they give no specifics number as to what it would actually take. Warner Bros also reportedly requested journalists not to report that streaming could damage the movie theater industry.

Needless to say, this kind of response is quite unprecedented from a studio to privately ask journalists to positively report on a movie because harm to the industry would also harm journalists. Needless to say, none of this is actually legally "off the record", so what do you guys think of this statement by WB? Is it fair to ask journalists to report positively about them for the sake of the industry? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

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Kumkani
Kumkani - 7/20/2020, 2:21 PM
WB wild for this one lol
Reaper87
Reaper87 - 7/20/2020, 6:26 PM
@Necropolitan - LOL yup!
If the movie is great, WB should have no problems here.
All this says to me is "We tried, we hope you like it enough to look past the errors, cut us some slack we are in a pandemic". LOL sorry WB that's not how this works. This is why DC is in the sh*tter. No one should be exempt from fair and rational criticism.
Reeds2Much
Reeds2Much - 7/20/2020, 2:35 PM
What species of monkey is heading WB's PR and marketing departments, and why does it think that's how "off the record" works?
XMenGiveItToYa
XMenGiveItToYa - 7/20/2020, 2:39 PM
@Reeds2Much - To throw a live grenade in the comments: Say what you will about Donald Trump, but (prior to being president) even he knew exactly how on/off the record works, famously so.
patgreyc
patgreyc - 7/20/2020, 5:33 PM
@Reeds2Much - I think the A.I. is in charge of their PR department too. Cut it some slack, it’s still learning 🤣
KingLeonidas
KingLeonidas - 7/20/2020, 3:21 PM
Is this a verified source?
Nightwing1015
Nightwing1015 - 7/20/2020, 5:02 PM
Not much needed to be off the record there. It's all understandable. What a pointless disclaimer.
billnye69
billnye69 - 7/20/2020, 5:58 PM
WB needs to learn from Disney about paying for good reviews.
globaltravels
globaltravels - 7/20/2020, 11:42 PM
LOL. “WB” sends out a NINE point memo about TENet. NINE... TEN... was this written by Nolan? 🤣
GwenLantern
GwenLantern - 7/21/2020, 1:23 AM
Well that's a pretty childish, unnecessarily cruel and dis-honorable thing to tell the whole world.

Even if the person writing WB's press releases hasn't got a clue about what "Off the record" means.
(I gotta be honest, neither did I)

I might understand if it were genuinely shocking or offensive and warranted a childlike tattle-tale tweeting, but this just seems like one professional making sure they're on the same page with other professionals about something in the midst of a set of unusual set of circumstances.
Are we no longer adults?

Has the internet turned us all into savages? Digital savages?

"Hey everybody, I just got a letter from someone who asked me to be discreet about something, what a moron! Lets all look at their dirty underwear and laugh at them!"
DarthFarley
DarthFarley - 7/21/2020, 6:47 AM
My first thought isn’t what this could do to the industry - this to me waves a red flag about the quality of the movie itself. You don’t send a release like this out if your film is exceptional. Right or wrong a stupid move on their part.
Kozmik
Kozmik - 7/21/2020, 7:25 AM
Sounds to me like Warner Bros. is trying to have their cake and eat it too. If they don't want Tenet to potentially be received harshly then don't release it. If you're going to release it, what happens, happens.
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 7/21/2020, 8:21 AM
Really lost a ton of respect for Nolan.
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