(Newswire.net — December 4, 2020) —
Warner Brothers Studios announced that they will stream their feature theatrical releases for 2021 on HBO Max.
HBO Max is a subscription based video on demand (VOD) streaming service owned by Warner Media. It launched May 27 2020 and by the end of September already had a combined total number of subscribers for HBO and HBO Max of 38 million.
The Warner Brothers Studio announced that 17 of their movies that are slated to be released in 2021 will simultaneously launch in movie theaters as well as on their HBO Max streaming service. The films will be available for streaming for 31 days, after which they will be taken down from the VOD library, but will remain available in cinemas for their theatrical run.
This decision comes in the wake of the corona virus pandemic, which has caused many studios to delay their theatrical release dates, in some cases even multiple times. Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” another Warner Brothers film, had a theatrical summer release with a disappointing box office result far below projected expectations.
Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar said in a statement “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”.
“This is a unique one year plan,” said Ann Sarnoff CEO and Warner Media Chair, “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do,” she continued in a recent statement.
Studios have already experimented with different approaches for their releases for this year. Disney charged viewers $30 for “Mulan” on top of the subscription fee to their streaming service. “Trolls World Tour” was an early attempt for Universal Pictures to test the waters with a smaller movie release taking the streaming route back in April.
If things work out for Warner Studios with the simultaneous release concept there is no reason for them to hold on to that release schedule for just one year – they could continue with this practice even after 2021 and other studios would likely follow that trend. This could put already struggling movie theaters in an even worse position having to compete with streaming services on same day releases.
The first Warner Brothers movie to be available for a same day release will be “Wonder Woman 1984,” set to release on December 25 2020. Other films that will be available for streaming on the same platform the same day as their theatrical opening include: “Dune,” “Matrix 4,” “The Suicide Squad” and “Mortal Kombat”.