Wonder Woman now has a date
Superhero movie Wonder Woman 1984 will debut in the U.S. simultaneously in theatres and on HBO Max streaming service starting on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, an unusual release plan prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
AT&T's Warner Bros studio said Wednesday the blockbuster will also be shown in theatres outside the United States, where HBO Max is not available, starting on Dec. 16. HBO Max is not available in Canada. A Canadian rep for Warner told Postmedia on Thursday the film is slated to open in Canadian theatres on Dec. 25, but “we will circle back if we have any updates to share.”
Movies typically play exclusively in cinemas for roughly 75 days before they become available elsewhere.
“For a movie of this scale, this is unprecedented,” WarnerMedia chief executive Jason Kilar said in a blog post explaining why the company decided to provide the movie in homes and theatres at the same time.
An action spectacle starring Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984 had originally been scheduled to reach cinemas in June 2020.
But Hollywood studios delayed most of their summer blockbusters until 2021 as the virus has kept many theatres in key markets closed, devastating theatre operators including AMC Entertainment and Cineworld Group.
Wonder Woman 1984 was moved several times and is the last big-budget action film on the 2020 schedule.
Director Patty Jenkins, who had pushed for a theatrical release, supported the plan.
“At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else,” Jenkins wrote on Twitter. “We truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season.”
Gadot said the move “wasn't an easy decision.
“We never thought we'd have to hold onto the release for such a long time,” she tweeted, “but COVID rocked all of our worlds.”
Wonder Woman 1984 is a sequel to the 2017 hit Wonder Woman, which collected US$821.8 million in global ticket sales.