After a long slumber, U.S. cinemas awaken on pivotal weekend

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) – More Americans will make their way back to the movies this weekend than any since the pandemic shuttered theaters in March. After a few weeks of catalog films and minor releases, the $200 million “Tenet” is the first must-see main event of the pandemic, a mega-movie litmus test for how ready U.S. moviegoers are to return to cinemas. At the same time, another $200 million movie, the Walt Disney Co.’s live-action “Mulan” remake is debuting not in theaters, as it originally intended to back in March, but on the streaming service Disney+. “Mulan” will be available for $30 only to Disney+ subscribers Friday in an innovative, untested release. Each movie could chart a new way forward for Hollywood in the COVID-19 era.

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer