International fans are spending hundreds of pounds on travel to see 'Tenet'

Christopher Nolan has been very vocal about his hopes that his time-bending new movie Tenet will encourage audiences to return to cinemas — and some are pursuing extreme measures to do so.

The movie opened in the UK yesterday and even drew Tom Cruise to the multiplex earlier this week.

However, Tenet is not available everywhere, with some countries and US states opting to keep cinemas shuttered in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19.

Read more: Ranking the films of Christopher Nolan

Variety spoke to several Nolan fans from around the world who have travelled considerable distances. noting that only around 65% of global multiplexes are currently open.

One American devotee had shelled out $220 (£167) on a round trip from LA to Austin, Texas — three hours in the air each way — in order to grab a ticket to see the movie on 1 September.

“My friends think I’m crazy, going all the way across the country to watch it, but we want to show support for this film and we’ll do anything to see it,” he said.

Read more: What to expect from newly reopened cinemas

Fans in other parts of Europe have sought to flock to the UK, where all of the major multiplex chains are now open, only to face problems with the country’s changing quarantine list.

One interviewee from Austria has booked flights for mid-September, costing €300 (£269), but may now be forced to cancel as travel from the country now requires a 14-day period of self isolation.

The same is true for a traveller from France, whose €179 (£160) day trip would now also mean he had to remain in quarantine for two weeks.

Starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, Tenet is a globe-trotting thriller based around the twisty concept of “time inversion”.

The movie is a blockbuster, Bond-inspired adventure of the sort that Inception director Nolan has made his bread and butter.

Read more: How one Tenet stunt terrified John David Washington

It has received a mixed bag of reviews from critics, with some unimpressed by the complex plotting while others were wowed by the mammoth spectacle.

The movie currently has an 84% approval score on aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.