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Warner Bros. gets really serious with its streaming platform, HBO Max. On an AT&T earnings call today (AT&T owns WarnerMedia, which oversees Warner Bros.), Jason Kilar – the CEO of WarnerMedia – said at least 10 original films will be released exclusively on HBO Max in 2022. .
This rollout of 10 movies straight to the streaming platform makes it clear that WarnerMedia wants HBO Max to be the next Netflix.
In the year and a half of the pandemic, the company caused an uproar in Hollywood by simultaneously releasing all WarnerMedia 2021 films, including those like Godzilla v. Kong, The suicide squad, and Dune – in theaters and on HBO Max. Hollywood has widely criticized the move, which was unexpected for many involved in these films. The industry’s biggest complaint was that the move would hurt the success of these films.
I had the chance to see The suicide squad and part of Dune in theaters. I loved watching both, and the experience would have been very different if I had watched them in my cramped living room with my dog snoring at my feet. The creative teams behind these great films designed these films so that we could see them on the big screen. Watching them on your TV is just a different experience, and Warner Bros. probably prefer that you don’t, and not just because they need your movie tickets (although that is certainly a huge part of them).
WarnerMedia and AT&T separate
AT&T apparently took those comments into consideration and responded by putting WarnerMedia on sale. If all goes according to Corporate America’s plan, Discovery will buy WarnerMedia from AT&T next year.
As these fusion machinations continue, WarnerMedia is reverting to a more traditional 2022 release schedule. There’s one big change though: They’ve reduced the theatrical distribution window to 45 days. Given that AT&T is selling WarnerMedia to Discovery, however, there’s a good chance that plan will change again when this merger is complete.
Meanwhile, Kilar promised on the call (via Variety) that “films matter and will continue to matter”. That doesn’t mean HBO Max doesn’t matter, though, and Kilar’s promise for HBO Max feature films is hammering this house.
Another thing we don’t know yet is what kind films that will be these HBO Max originals. If I had to guess (and that’s just a guess), I bet these will be smaller stories, things that don’t depend as much on creating an immersive storytelling experience for two hours. We’ll find out soon enough, because 2022 is only five months away.
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