Warner Bros. made its first salvo with Wonder Woman 1984 in stating that it would be in theaters at Christmas and on HBO Max at the same time and waited to see the reaction. Which was, largely, a positive across the board. Now, seeing the news of how the vaccine is coming, the way that so many people are not intending to get one, and the uncertainty of how much of 2021 is going to look, has made a massive and sweeping change to how the 2021 film slate will go.
The studio announced Thursday day-and-date releases for its 17-film slate, which will hit HBO Max for a one-month window that starts the same day they will be available in U.S. theaters. Those films include:
- The Suicide Squad
- The Matrix 4
- Dune
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Space Jam: A New Legacy
- Little Things
- Judas and the Black Messiah
- Tom & Jerry
- Mortal Kombat
- Those Who Wish Me Dead
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
- In The Heights
- Reminiscence
- Malignant
- The Many Saints of Newark
- King Richard
- Cry Macho
This definitely makes HBO Max a must-have service if you’re into new films and having them as a limited one-month window is a smart way to do it. The studio is claiming this is just for the duration of the pandemic but it’s the kind of situation that’s hard to put back in the bottle once it’s been let loose, and once you change your distribution method after decades of the other model.
With Warner Bros. under the AT&T window and the execs up there having their own view of how things should be done, this really is no surprise. They’d rather make some money than no money in the short-term and shore up the HBO Max service in exchange for the box office receipts that could be. Wonder Woman 1984 could easily be a $1 billion movie – pre-pandemic. Once we’re past it, will the theatrical side recover enough so that it still could be? This makes one think that it can’t and they’re looking to cobble together something different for the next year.
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films. We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”
“After considering all available options and the projected state of moviegoing throughout 2021, we came to the conclusion that this was the best way for WarnerMedia’s motion picture business to navigate the next 12 months,” said WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar. “More importantly, we are planning to bring consumers 17 remarkable movies throughout the year, giving them the choice and the power to decide how they want to enjoy these films. Our content is extremely valuable, unless it’s sitting on a shelf not being seen by anyone. We believe this approach serves our fans, supports exhibitors and filmmakers, and enhances the HBO Max experience, creating value for all.”
“This hybrid exhibition model enables us to best support our films, creative partners and moviegoing in general throughout 2021,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich. “We have a fantastic, wide-ranging slate of titles from talented and visionary filmmakers next year, and we’re excited to be able get these movies in front of audiences around the world. And, as always, we’ll support all of our releases with innovative and robust marketing campaigns for their theatrical debuts, while highlighting this unique opportunity to see our films domestically via HBO Max as well.”
[Source: THR]
