Warner Bros. movie stars will get additional pay for their films' HBO Max releases. Warner Bros. revealed last week that all 17 movies on their 2021 slate would release on HBO Max the same day as their theatrical releases. The decision was to anticipate audiences not being ready to return to theaters by 2021 as coronavirus cases continue to spike. Starting the day of their U.S. theater releases, the movies will hit HBO Max for one month before continuing in U.S. and international theaters. HBO Max subscribers will not be charged an additional fee for the films, including major releases such as Dune, The Suicide Squad, Godzilla vs Kong, and The Matrix 4. The landmark decision sent shockwaves across the film industry, especially as the studios impacted by the move received no advance notice before Warner Bros.' announcement.
Warner Bros. first applied the plan to the highly-anticipated Wonder Woman sequel, Wonder Woman 1984. After multiple delays, the studio announced last month that the Patty Jenkins-directed sequel would simultaneously hit HBO Max and theaters on Christmas Day. It was recently reported that Jenkins and Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot each received an additional $10 million due to negotiations between Warner Bros. and Gadot and Jenkins' lawyers. The two were compensated for what the film would have earned if not for the pandemic causing theaters to close worldwide. This raised the question of whether the rest of Warner Bros.' lead performers would be treated similarly. Keanu Reeves and Will Smith reportedly have not received bonuses for their movies going to HBO Max.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. is currently coming up with a plan to pay lead actors and directors affected by the HBO Max deal backend compensation contingent on the films' box office performances. Representatives for stars like Smith, Reeves, Denzel Washington, Margot Robbie, and Angelina Jolie have questioned why they are not receiving the same treatment as Gadot. Some talent agencies have reportedly been meeting with litigators to take action against Warner Bros.
Additionally, the studio's streaming plan has not been well-received by filmmakers or movie theater owners. Tenet director Christopher Nolan condemned the studio, saying their plan "makes no economic sense," and the company does not "even understand what they're losing." Warner Bros. is also receiving pushback from Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong studio Legendary Entertainment, who reportedly could be taking legal action. AMC, the largest movie theater chain in the U.S., also spoke out against the studio's plan.
While Wonder Woman 1984 was at an advantage by the streaming plan announcement, Warner Bros. move appeared to be a complete surprise for the industry. With the release of some of the films still far off, the stars have time to negotiate a deal with the studio. It's doubtful that lead actors such as Angelina Jolie and Denzel Washington won't get the right compensation from Warner Bros., as the studio is likely trying to do everything in their means to make things right with the stars.
Source: Variety