In what we can only assume is another devastating blow too cinemas, Warner Bros just blind-sided us all with a move we would never in a million years think of.
Following the news that Wonder Woman 1984 will be getting a simultaneous release in cinemas and HBO Max (here) it seems that Warners have decided this may be the future as they just announced that their whole catalog of 2021 movies will be getting simultaneously released on HBO on their scheduled days of release.
And all at no extra charge to those subscribed to HBO Max.
Wow.
So what all does this include? Well, anything with the Warner Bros name attached including Dune, The Suicide Squad, Matrix 4, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It and In the Heights.
Now, just to be clear, these are all consecutive releases and these movies are not heading o streaming only. Our understanding is that, since HBO Max is only available in the US, these movies will get their scheduled theatrical releases.
It’s no doubt that, after the year from hell, cinemas who were looking forward to a busy year, will see this as a devastating blow… Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, Space Jam, The Matrix 4 and the others were all likely to have been highly anticipated, big crowd movies.
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a statement.
“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 US 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.”
You can read the full statement below.
While HBO Max will unlikely benefit greatly from this initiative, there’s no question cinemas are going to see this as a personal attack as many are sitting in a precarious position already thanks to that damned virus.
If Disney and others follow suit, the cinema experience as we know it will become a thing of the past.
Read the full statement from Warner Brothers:
Marc
Marc is a self-confessed nerd. Ever since seeing Star Wars for the first time around 1979 he’s been an unapologetic fan of the Wars and still believes, with Clone Wars and now Underworld, we are yet to see the best Star Wars. He’s a dad of two who now doesn’t have the time (or money) to collect the amount of toys, comics, movies and books he once did, much to the relief of his long-suffering wife. In the real world he’s a graphic designer. He started Following the Nerd because he was tired of searching a million sites every day for all the best news that he loves and decided to create one place where you can go to get the whole lot. Secretly he longs to be sitting in the cockpit of his YT-1300 Corellian Transport ship with his co-pilot Chewie, roaming the universe, waiting for his next big adventure, but feels just at home watching cartoons with his kids….
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