‘Little Things’ hits HBO Max, theatres amid an uneasy truce

WARNER Bros, which drew the ire of theatre chains after announcing plans to put all of its 2021 movies online the same day they premiere in cinemas, is dominating the big screen over the weekend with the debut of a new Denzel Washington film.

'The Little Things,' a cop drama starring the two-time Oscar winner, opened on Friday in cinemas and on HBO Max. The film topped the domestic weekend box office with an estimated US$4.8 million sales, according to industry researcher Comscore, higher than the industry forecast of about US$2.5 million. It was the only new movie from a major studio set to debut over the weekend, and adds another chapter to the ongoing friction between Hollywood and the exhibitors who show its films.

Warner Bros' strategy “provides theatres with some confidence in having new and high-profile releases during the early months of this year,” said Shawn Robbins, chief analyst at Boxoffice Pro. He said it's a transition toward what the industry hopes “will be a more significant theatrical recovery later in the year, based on health experts' vaccine timelines and a very robust Hollywood slate in the back half of 2021.”

While theatre executives were angered that AT&T Inc's WarnerMedia division forced them to share the 2021 movie slate with online audiences, they are dependent on the studio for new films to draw in customers. Although the three-day ticket sales of 'The Little Things' is small comparing to pre-covid 19 levels, it provides a precious revenue for cinemas starved for almost a year by the coronavirus pandemic. The film will show at all of the large chains that are open, including venues run by AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc. and Cinemark Holdings Inc. About 38 percent of North American theatres are now open, Comscore said.

Both AMC and Cinemark issued sharp statements in December when the HBO Max streaming decision was announced, raising questions about whether they would boycott Warner Bros films.