A surprising new streaming release plan from Warner Bros. and HBO Max will only take place in the U.S. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, Hollywood studios, as well as cinemas, have been struggling to find a suitable model for new releases. In particular, cinemas have been hit hard, as audiences either can’t or won’t fill seats.
So far, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have been coming away as the big winners throughout the pandemic. The ability to stream original content keeps providers in demand, ensuring various populations experiencing lockdown are kept up to date with the latest programming and releases. Unfortunately for cinemas, there doesn’t seem to be any secret to getting business back to normal again. There have been several solid attempts at getting audiences back into theatres for new releases, but these have consistently proven to be anything but successful. The biggest hope for returning to normal was Warner’s decision to release Tenet in theatres earlier this year. The Christopher Nolan film failed to draw in crowds usually expected for the filmmaker’s releases.
After months of struggling and important decision making, Warner announced that its full 2021 slate of releases would occur both theatrically and via HBO Max. The move will see 17 films released on the same date via the two mediums, with the HBO release length lasting for one month. The news shocked many, as Warner is the first major studio to attempt such a thing. However, THR has also reported that Warner’s plan will only affect the United States and that Warner’s slate of releases for 2021 will arrive in international theatres as planned.
With potentially huge titles on the way from Warner in the coming months like The Matrix 4, Dune and Space Jam: A New Legacy, the Hollywood studio understandably wants to do everything it can to ensure profitability. It’s likely that by testing this formula in the United States – where the grip of Covid remains firm, Warner can see what about it works and what doesn’t. Should the pandemic continue beyond 2021, Warner will have a new release model ready. However, as things currently stand, a Covid vaccine will be arriving very shortly, meaning that a return to theatres in 2021 is a real possibility. If theatres once again become what they once were, Warner can quite easily make the necessary adjustments.
It can also be argued that allowing films to stream on HBO Max in conjunction with their theatrical release will further destroy cinemas. If Warner’s new model works for the studio, then they will understandably wish to implement a similar system outside of the U.S. as well. The passage of time and the lingering effects of Covid have made many people more interested in watching films from home rather than in the cinemas. Moving past this desire and returning to theatres in 2021 may prove undesirable for many. Even if Warner Bros. appears to be the sole studio doing this – and only within the United States, it doesn’t mean that other studios and streamers won’t see the benefits and follow suit.
Source: THR