In seismic shift, Warner to stream all 2021 films
NEW YORK: In the most seismic shift by a Hollywood studio yet during the pandemic, Warner Bros Pictures on Thursday announced that all of its 2021 film slate — including a new Matrix movie, Godzilla vs Kong and the Lin-Manuel Miranda adaptation In the Heights — will stream on HBO Max at the same time the films play in theatres.
Among the myriad release plan changes wrought by the pandemic, no studio has so fully embraced streaming as a lifeline. But after disappointing domestic ticket sales for Tenet, and with the majority of US theatres currently closed, the AT&T-owned Warner Bros will turn to a hybrid distribution model next year. Films will debut simultaneously in theatres and on HBO Max in the US. After one month, they will stop streaming and continue to play only in theatres.
The move follows Warner Bros.’ decision to put Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max in December, along with a concurrent theatrical run. If that pivot sent shockwaves through the industry, Thursday’s announcement rattled Hollywood to the core.
“Given the unprecedented time that we’re in, we needed a creative solution to address our fans, our filmmakers and our exhibitors, said Ann Sarnoff, chief executive of WarnerMedia Studios, in an interview. “Big and bold is a necessity right now.”
Sarnoff called it a “temporary solution” and a “one-year plan.” The studio said other options — releasing big-budget films solely in reduced capacity theatres or delaying films another year — weren’t appealing. Warner Bros.’ move amounts to an acknowledgement that any full rebound for theaters is still a year or more away.
“We’ve got to get people back in theatres at full capacity at some point. If you read the medical experts that’s going to take a while to work its way through the system,” said Sarnoff. “If we saw an end in sight to the pandemic, we might have a different strategy. But we don’t see that at this moment.” HBO Max is only available in the United States.