Taking everyone by surprise, a decision that was nothing short of revolutionary, the WarnerMedia conglomerate, owner of Warner Bros., decided not to hold back on any of it’s cinema releases for 2021 anymore, and will make all of them available on the HBO Max platform the same day they hit the big screen.
According to the Deadline website, the studio will make its releases available at the same time in theaters and on its streaming service. The films will stay in the HBO Max catalog for a month. This includes films like The Suicide Squad, Matrix 4 , Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Dune, Space Jam: The New Legacy, Wonder Woman 1984 and many others.
Carolyn Blackwood, chief operating officer at Warner Bros., said in a press statement:
“This is a temporary 2021 plan. We have to support exhibition with the product. We don’t think we’re changing the economics of these movies any more than the pandemic has. We’re adding another interval and period for revenue with HBO Max.”
Ann Sarnoff, president of WarnerMedia, said:
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures 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.”
Warner’s next big release and the first to feature in this new distribution model is Wonder Woman 1984, which opens on December 25 in theaters and on HBO Max.
