HBO Max boss Andy Forssell defends In the Heights' box office performance and its dual streaming release. To cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, studios have been forced to come up with unconventional release strategies for their biggest movies. Last year, Warner Bros. turned heads with the reveal that all 2021 movies would debut day and date on HBO Max, following in the footsteps of last winter's Wonder Woman 1984. The decision proved controversial, with talent like Christopher Nolan speaking out against it. Nevertheless, all of WB's 2021 movies have rolled out both in theaters and on HBO Max, and the results have been somewhat mixed.
Ahead of its debut, many pegged In the Heights to be the breakout hit of the summer. The Jon M. Chu-directed movie is an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning musical, and it was bolstered by extremely positive reviews. However, In the Heights struggled to make a splash when it arrived in theaters, premiering to a muted $11.5 million and coming in second to A Quiet Place Part II. Its prospects haven't improved much since then, with the musical standing at a $29 million domestic total. Though concrete numbers haven't been provided, it's likely HBO Max had a hand in this disappointing performance.
Forssell spoke to The Wrap following AT&T's second quarter earnings call and defended both HBO Max and In the Heights' lackluster total. First, when it came to the latter, Forssell cited a general reluctance among moviegoers to venture out to theaters amid the pandemic, explaining, "It’s so hard to gauge how much did COVID have to do with it, especially with the COVID situation changing week by week, people’s willingness to go to a theater." He added, "I just know ‘In the Heights’ did really well on HBO Max — it did sort of lower end of the range of our expectations at the box office." On the subject of whether HBO Max detracted from In the Heights' box office total, Forssell said, "We all tend to want to draw these conclusions, but I think it’s very different title by title, and really hard to be confident that you can draw a conclusion."
Forssell is correct in pointing out that everything differs by title. Though In the Heights might have struggled theatrically because of its streaming run, other Warner Bros. movies have managed to find success both ways. Godzilla vs. Kong was one of the first major movies to arrive under this release plan, and it's currently one of the 4 2021 movies to have crossed $100 million domestically. Additionally, Space Jam: A New Legacy defied expectations last week to earn $31 million, which allowed it to beat out Marvel's Black Widow.
In the Heights' case likely wasn't helped by the controversy that sprung up regarding its lack of Afro-Latino representation. It's impossible to say just what led to the movie's disappointing total, but there are a few factors at play. Despite what Forssell said, its availability on HBO Max must've contributed in some form. Warner Bros. has said they will return to a normal release plan next year, and perhaps then it will become clearer as to how much of an effect streaming has on box office numbers.
Source: The Wrap