‘Wonder Woman 1984’ is not going to be an exception, but the norm. At least for Warner, who after the announcement that the new Wonder Woman movie would be released simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max, has confirmed that the rest of his films planned for 2021 will follow the same model. That includes’ Dune ‘,’ Matrix 4 ‘and’ Godzilla vs. Kong ‘(of which it had already been rumored that the model would be welcomed for a few days), among other important premieres.

That is, the movies will be on HBO Max for a month and in theaters simultaneously. After that month, the films will leave the streaming platform and will continue with their exploitation in rooms, following the usual distribution windows so far, including premiere on Blu-Ray and DVD, and return to streaming platforms. It remains to be seen if some of them will be able to be seen simultaneously outside the United States, as HBO has announced that HBO Max will arrive in Europe in the second half of 2021.

17 front-row premieres

Till the date, the films announced by Warner for 2021 are these 17:

  • The Little Things
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
  • Tom & jerry
  • Godzilla vs. Kong
  • Mortal Kombat
  • Those Who Wish Me Dead
  • The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
  • In the Heights
  • Space Jam: A New Legacy
  • The Suicide Squad
  • Reminiscence
  • Malignant
  • Dune
  • The Many Saints of Newark
  • King richard
  • Cry Male
  • Matrix 4

HBO has recognized during the WebSummit 2020 event, through Ann Sarnofff, CEO of WarnerMedia Studios, that the reason for this decision is the pandemic that the world is experiencing. It states that “no one wants movies to return to the big screen more than us. We know that new content is the lifeblood of theatrical display, but we have to balance this with the fact that most movie theaters in the US will likely be operating at reduced capacity during 2021. “

Sarnoff says they see it as “a benefit to moviegoers and exhibitors, and We are very grateful to our filmmaker partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.“Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia, concludes that they want to” provide consumers with 17 remarkable movies throughout the year, giving them the choice and the power to decide how they want to enjoy them. “

It only remains to know how Warner’s competition will react: This is a risky and unprecedented move, which can catapult the number of subscriptions of the platform. Disney or Netflix may follow in their footsteps in one sense or another, but for now, the company that decided to release ‘Tenet’ in the midst of the pandemic has decided to punch the table that could change the rules of the exhibition permanently.