Warner Bros. to release all 2021 movies on HBO Max, simultaneously in theaters

LOS ANGELES – Warner Bros. AT&T Inc. will launch its entire 2021 theatrical slate simultaneously in theaters and on its HBO Max streaming service, the studio said Thursday, making the most radical step yet to eliminate the exclusivity that the theater chains have appreciated. for decades.

The Warner Bros. films will air on HBO Max during their first month of theatrical release before leaving the service while remaining in theaters.

The hybrid model will apply to all Warner Bros. movies. next year, from smaller-scale releases to big-budget films that traditionally require gargantuan box office sales to generate a profit. This includes the sci-fi adaptation “Dune”, a film version of the musical “In The Heights” and a new installment in the “Matrix” franchise.

Warner Bros. announced last month that it will be releasing “Wonder Woman 1984” on HBO Max Christmas Day for a month at the same time the film hits theaters. Thursday’s announcement covers 17 films slated for release next year.

“It’s threading a needle in the middle of a pandemic,” said Carolyn Blackwood, the studio’s director of operations. “We weren’t comfortable sitting on our hands or throwing these movies into oblivion.”