Hollywood directors are reportedly mulling a boycott of Warner Bros. following the studio's controversial 2021 release strategy. The coronavirus pandemic resulted in seismic changes within the entertainment industry this year as it kept movie theaters shuttered for a large portion of time and forced studios to delay their biggest releases. With the box office at its lowest point in decades, studios wracked their brains to come up with alternate distribution plans. Some, like Universal, have negotiated a shorter theatrical window that allows movies to hit VOD mere weeks after being released in theaters, while others have sent smaller movies straight to streaming.
Last week, Warner Bros. completely upended Hollywood with their plan to release each one of their 2021 movies on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously. Originally, this was only going to apply to Wonder Woman 1984 later this month, but that has now changed, as major movies like The Suicide Squad, Dune, and The Matrix 4 are included with this plan. Warner Bros.' plan has received decidedly mixed responses from those around Hollywood, particularly when it comes to directors.
In a report from The New York Times, most major talent and their agencies were unaware of Warner Bros.' plans before they were announced. This includes stars like Margot Robbie and Will Smith. Whereas Wonder Woman 1984 star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins were able to discuss the HBO Max release plan, no one else was granted the same courtesy. As a result, "Talk of a Warner Bros. boycott began circulating inside the Directors Guild of America." It's also said a partner at one major talent agency met with litigators over the weekend.
Warner Bros.' 2021 release plan reportedly irritated The Suicide Squad director James Gunn, and Christopher Nolan, who stood by the traditional theatrical plan for his Tenet, blasted the studio for their decision. Clearly, the dissatisfaction spreads beyond these two, though it isn't clear as to how deep it goes. When looking at the situation from directors' perspectives, it isn't surprising that they would be displeased. Unless they are open to a streaming release from the beginning, directors make movies with the goal of seeing them on the big screen. While Warner Bros.' 2021 films will all be released in theaters, the duel HBO Max debut indicates a major preference for streaming that directors didn't sign up for.
It doesn't help that Warner Bros. chose to not speak with the affected filmmakers beforehand. This decision hurts them significantly, and though Warner Bros. said this would only be for 2021, that could easily change if it proves successful. As of right now, Warner Bros. has damaged their reputation with Hollywood directors, and it remains to be seen if they will be able to repair it. Perhaps if the studio makes some strides in prioritizing the theatrical experience over streaming, directors will feel better about partnering with them. Until then, though, Warner Bros. might struggle to attract certain filmmakers.
Source: New York Times