Moviegoers in the U.S. will have the option to watch The Suicide Squad either on the big screen or from the comfort of home on HBO Max this summer. The streaming service isn't widely available outside North America, though, which is something that's left UK fans forced to find the likes of Zack Snyder's Justice League, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Mortal Kombat on PVOD services (and often quite a bit later).
However, with cinemas in the UK reopening next Monday, the hope is that movies will once again be released on time without the need for any sort of Digital releases. The international box office is crucial for a studio like Warner Bros., and they have nothing to gain from having a movie like The Suicide Squad debut on Netflix or any streamer that they don't own.
As a result, it's now been confirmed that James Gunn's DC Comics adaptation is coming to UK cinemas this summer, albeit earlier than in the U.S. It's set to open there on August 6th, but UK fans will get to enjoy it a week sooner on July 30th. That's going to make it tricky to avoid spoilers, though it's worth noting that Godzilla vs. Kong and Mortal Kombat also received early international releases.
The difference there, however, is that those movies didn't kill off a bunch of characters, and learning the fates of villains like Harley Quinn and King Shark early could ruin the experience for many fans.
"Welcome to hell — a.k.a. Belle Reve, the prison with the highest mortality rate in the US of A," reads the synopsis. "Where the worst Super-Villains are kept and where they will do anything to get out—even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Today’s do-or-die assignment? Assemble a collection of cons, including Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, Ratcatcher 2, Savant, King Shark, Blackguard, Javelin and everyone’s favorite psycho, Harley Quinn. Then arm them heavily and drop them (literally) on the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese."
"Trekking through a jungle teeming with militant adversaries and guerrilla forces at every turn, the Squad is on a search-and- destroy mission with only Colonel Rick Flag on the ground to make them behave...and Amanda Waller’s government techies in their ears, tracking their every movement. And as always, one wrong move and they’re dead (whether at the hands of their opponents, a teammate, or Waller herself). If anyone’s laying down bets, the smart money is against them—all of them."
The Suicide Squad will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on August 6th, 2021.