Earlier today, WarnerMedia announced something that it's fair to say will change the film industry forever. Not too long ago, we learned that Wonder Woman 1984 would debut in theaters and the HBO Max streaming service on the same day (December 25th), but now every single 2021 movie on Warner Bros.' release schedule is set to follow the DC Comics adaptation. Clearly, it wasn't a one-off!
While they'll only be on the streamer for 31 days before becoming exclusive to theaters and eventually PVOD platforms, this is a huge move, and one which will very likely see other studios follow suit.
As we noted, among the 2021 titles getting the HBO Max treatment are The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho, and Matrix 4.
A promo was released confirming that each of the movies above will have a place on HBO Max, but did you spot these new logos for movies like The Matrix 4, Godzilla Vs. Kong, and Mortal Kombat?
They don't reveal much, of course, but it is still cool to see the updated title treatments.
The only theater to have responded to this news as of now is Cinemark, who tell Deadline: "In light of the current operating environment, we are making near-term booking decisions on a film-by-film basis. At this time, Warner Bros. has not provided any details for the hybrid distribution model of their 2021 films."
The days of theaters boycotting a studio's releases are over if they hope to survive, so it is what it is!
Check out the logos below: