As the debate in Hollywood over simultaneously releasing blockbuster films on streaming service rages on, Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins continues to express her displeasure with the practice, now arguing that films released on streaming services "look like fake movies to me."
Jenkins' comments came up as part of a panel that she was on at CinemaCon, discussing the future of film. The topic turned to the boom that streaming services have been having since the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic and Jenkins argued that the films that she sees that originate on the platforms seem like "fake" movies to her and she does not see them get discussed the same way that movies used to be discussed when they were released only in theaters.
She specifically noted, "Aren’t you seeing it? All of the films that streaming services are putting out, I’m sorry, they look like fake movies to me. I don’t hear about them, I don’t read about them. It’s not working as a model for establishing legendary greatness."
This fits with Jenkins other comments about seeing Wonder Woman 1984 released on HBO Max on Christmas, along with a theatrical release. Back in July, she noted, "The theaters literally asked us to do it... They said, 'We're going to shut our doors if nobody comes in.' So what are you going to do? I am filled with sadness that it didn't get a real theatrical run. I hope one day it does. It completely changes how people see it, but what are you going to do? It happened. So many people had terrible things happen during the pandemic, and we were one of the losses."
At the time of the film's release, Jenkins was a bit more open to the idea, but you could still see how much of an emphasis she places on the theatrical experience, noting, "I never thought I would feel this way about the decision to switch to streaming and theatrical. In this case, your priority as a filmmaker is to make a movie that moves and reaches audiences so they have communion together in a theater. But there's no way better to do that right now than send people who are suffering and who might be with their family something to watch together."
However, just recently at CinemaCon, Jenkins also discussed how the streaming release was a "heartbreaking experience" that she found to be "detrimental to the movie." So these new comments are fully in keeping with how Jenkins feels films should be experienced.
Source: Cinemacon via ScreenRant