Following a recent report that Warner Bros. was still mulling over how to proceed with the release of Wonder Woman 1984, it's now been confirmed that Patty Jenkins' DC Comics sequel will actually debut in theatres and on HBO Max at the same time on December 25.
The movie will hit international theaters a week earlier starting on December 16, and will be available for a month on HBO Max in the U.S. included at no additional cost to subscribers.
Warner Bros. has announced that Diana's second solo adventure will forgo a traditional theatrical release and will simply debut in whatever cinemas remain open on Christmas day, while also being made available to view on the streaming service. This makes WW84 the biggest movie yet to head straight to streaming before a typical theatrical rollout.
Placing a huge superhero tentpole like WW84 on HBO Max will certainly be a major draw for the streamer, which is still trailing competitors Disney+ and Netflix by considerable margins despite exceeding expectations for its third quarter. There was talk of pushing the film into next year, but WB may have decided against it given how jam-packed 2021 is already.
In any case, it looks like the studio has come to terms with Tenet's relatively disappointing box office performance, and are willing to accept that a blockbuster theatrical run is simply not going to be possible in the current climate.
“As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group. “This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the U.S. where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform.”
Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot have taken to Twitter to comment on the news.