Rumors swirled last week that Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 would drop on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. This would then serve as a test release for three more potential Warner Bros. releases.
This rumor was a bit off because Warner Bros. intends on releasing everything in 2021 on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. That’s right. All seventeen films on Warner Bros. 2021 release slate will debut on HBO Max at the same time they hit theaters.
As of the time of this publication, all HBO Max users would have immediate access to every film, but don’t be surprised if HBO Max adds a nominal fee to watch the movies.
This announcement includes a number of highly-anticipated films in 2021, including Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix 4, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, and the Sopranos-prequel The Many Saints of Newark.
That’s not everything of note. The list goes on to include:
Godzilla vs. Kong, The Conjuring 3, The Mortal Kombat Reboot, King Richard, The Little Things, Malignant, Cry Macho, Tom and Jerry, Judas and the Black Messiah, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and Reminiscence.
The announcement goes on to say, just like Wonder Woman 1984, all 2021 films will be available to HBO Max subscribers for one month from their theatrical launch day. After that, all films will only be in theaters until they release on Blu-ray and DVD.
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, theater chains are in shambles, with many beginning to throw in the towel. This move may mark the end of theater chains as we know them. It also signifies the important streaming services today.
This unprecedented move sure gives life to the struggling HBO Max streaming service. Most viewers were content to wait to subscribe to the service right before Zack Snyder’s Justice League hits, but this move is a definite game-changer.
Another minor change WarnerMedia made to HBO Max was to get rid of the 7-day free trial. You have to subscribe to the service for the long-run in order to catch any of these movies at home.
WanerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff states that this is a “unique one-year plan,” and there’s no plans to continue into 2022. She also says that the studio’s only making the move in response to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
