Last night, it was revealed that Warner Bros. has made the incredibly bold decision to release “Wonder Woman 1984” in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day, December 25. This decision has fans happy, as they won’t be forced to go to theaters to see the film, unless they want to of course, while it has financial experts scratching their heads. Well, one of the biggest aspects of this decision wasn’t immediately known when it was announced and now might have everyone confused.
According to Deadline, ‘WW84’ will debut day and date in theaters and on HBO Max. Of course, if you’re a subscriber to HBO Max, that means you’ll have access to the latest DC superhero film for free and won’t have to pay any sort of premium to watch the brand-new blockbuster. However, that’s not forever. You see, the deal actually means that “Wonder Woman 1984” will only be on HBO Max for one month (31 days) before leaving the service and only be available in theaters for another 30 days. Then after 60 days total, the film will be available on Premium VOD, where customers can pay to watch the film.
Yes, that means for 30 days you will have access to the film for the cost of your HBO Max subscription but after that, you’ll have to pay to watch ‘WW84.’ A very odd deal, indeed. Apparently, this is the deal that allowed WB to get an agreement with AMC Theatres with releasing the film on streaming. I guess AMC (and presumably Cinemark) will be happy with having exclusivity AFTER an HBO Max launch? Maybe the execs believe that people are going to be willing to pay ticket prices for a film that has been readily available essentially for free for 30 days?
According to AMC CEO Adam Aron, the cinema chain and WB have been in “active and deep dialogue” with WB about the release of the film. And the decision that was made by the studio has the theater chain’s full support.
“Given that atypical circumstances call for atypical economic relationships between studios and theatres, and atypical windows and releasing strategies, AMC is fully onboard for Warner Brothers’ announcement today,” he said. “AMC continues to believe that exclusive theatrical releases benefit consumers, filmmakers, studios and exhibitors. Even so, we also have clearly demonstrated this year that we are flexible and remain open to evolving long-standing business models, provided that we do so in ways that improve the industry ecosystem for all players. We have instituted novel approaches with other movie studios this year. We are doing so again, this time with Warner Brothers to facilitate the specific release of this important movie. We hope movie lovers enjoy ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ during the holidays this year at AMC.”
Notice the complete lack of HBO Max mention? Obviously, AMC would love people to think the only way to watch the film is in theaters, right?
At the end of the day, you can presume that this is a situation that AMC thinks is way bigger than “Wonder Woman 1984.” The chain is willing to take the loss on this film, as WB is willing to do the same. Except for WB, this is all about HBO Max. And for AMC, this is a film that might draw attention to the fact that theaters are open and (purportedly) safe. Maybe, even if customers don’t go pay for ‘WW84,’ they’ll be excited to know that their local theater is open and has other offerings, as well?
As with everything affecting the film industry during the pandemic, no one has a playbook for how to handle this. No one knows what’s going to be the end result of any of these strategies until they implement them. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.
“Wonder Woman 1984” is set to be released in theaters and HBO Max on December 25.