Epic Games is partnering with an unlikely ally. Previously, Epic has partnered with Disney and many others to bring exciting and diverse content to Fortnite, whether it's a concert, an interview with a film director, or even a full film trailer. It seems another full film trailer is on the way to Fortnite, which might be surprising considering no films are debuting in theaters. Nevertheless, Chris Nolan's Tenet is moving forward and will debut its latest trailer tonight, May 21, in Fortnite at 5:00 pm PT.
The trailer will debut in a unique way, too. In the past, videos have debuted on Fortnite's Risky Reels drive-thru screen. For Tenet, the trailer will be shown in Fortnite's new Party Royale mode. It'll be shown on the big screen at the Main Stage, the same place where Dillon Francis, Steve Aoki, and deadmau5 did a concert to celebrate the launch of the new mode.
This is what Fortnite's Party Royale mode was designed for, in part. It allows Epic to make big partnerships to show off cool stuff in Fortnite without disturbing the regular flow of matchmaking in their regular games. Running events live has to be extremely challenging for a development team, but for this all Epic needs to do is press play and have the trailer run.
While this is likely to be the first of many regular trailer events in Fortnite, this specific event is much bigger than it may seem at face value. Theaters in the United States are currently closed. Several states have opened to the point of theaters opening, but films are currently not being released. Tenet is one film that has yet to delay its release, with many speculating its launch could serve as a reopening opportunity for theaters.
Tenet's release date is July 17, or at least, that's its release date as of the last official update from Nolan. It's entirely possible that tonight's trailer reconfirms that release date, giving theaters a date they can target for reopening. It could also confirm a delay, though revealing that via Fortnite would certainly be a choice.
For those worried that they'll have to download Fortnite in order to see the new trailer for Tenet, don't stress. The trailer is not exclusive to Fortnite. It'll likely be shared online via normal means sometime after it's broadcast in-game. But there's just something about watching trailers in groups that makes it so much more enjoyable.
Fortnite is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One, and mobile devices.