Would you rather stay home and see that first-run film or go to the theater? Beginning with the latest Wonder Woman movie, fans of Warner Bros. Pictures have the choice. But not everyone is happy.
Streaming service HBO Max will offer each Warner Bros. movie at the same time that it’s released in theaters, because both companies are owned by the same parent. WarnerMedia called the strategy temporary and creative. Hollywood creatives and theaters are skeptical. The strategy has fanned fears that moviegoing as we know it is over.
Why We Wrote This
It’s a shake-up to how this business is normally run: One entertainment conglomerate is releasing each of its 2021 movies simultaneously in theaters and on its own streaming service.