When 2020 started, the eagerly anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 was intended to be Warner Bros.' summer tentpole. Unfortunately, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has kept the sequel to the 2017 smash hit Wonder Woman out of theaters and away from fans. After multiple delays, however, the wait for the film is almost over. In addition to opening in theaters on Dec. 25, the movie will also be streaming on HBO Max at no extra charge for an initial run of 30 days. It’s a move that could change not only how the studio manages its own assets, including the rest of the DC Extended Universe, but it also blazes a trail that Hollywood's other upcoming blockbusters could follow.
On the surface, Warner Media, which owns both DC Comics and HBO Max, is making a savvy business decision to capitalize on a major movie, while cross-promoting its streaming service. It needs to get the film in front of as many eyeballs as possible out of the gate. Movie theaters in the United States are either closed or showing films in limited capacity. Either way, dreams of a $100 million-plus opening weekend isn't a possibility given the circumstances. Making matters worse, in recent years, theatrical releases -- blockbusters in particular -- have seen large drop offs in ticket sales after the first week of release. As a result, studios need to find new paths to profits as the ways people consume entertainment continue to change.
Warner Media CEO Jason Kilar acknowledged in an official statement that the pandemic was a factor in the decision for Wonder Woman 1984's release, but also emphasized it would give audiences the choice of how to see the movie. Kilar is betting audiences still want to see the film and are willing to sacrifice the big-screen experience for the safety and convenience of home to do it, either because there are no movie theaters open in their area or because they aren't yet comfortable returning to cinemas.
After almost a year of social distancing and relying on streaming media like never before, viewing habits and appetites have adapted to the new reality. The question facing studios is how committed they are to working to undo these new habits and push audiences back into the typical formula of watching new releases in theaters first. By breaking the traditional theatrical window for Wonder Woman 1984, Warner Bros. is experimenting with a potentially lucrative alternative.
If the studio's decision to provide a choice of viewing experiences proves popular with audiences, it could be a significant move in a new direction. And if it's successful, it could impact how other studios release blockbusters in the future too, solidifying the fact that movies can forego traditional theatrical releases with minimal impact to the bottom line. Simultaneous theatrical and streaming releases could even become the norm.
This is territory Disney+ is already dipping its toes into, with its release of Mulan on the service as a Premier Access title subscribers had to pay an up-charge for and its decision to release the upcoming Pixar film, Soul, exclusively on the service on Christmas Day. Viewing habits were already shifting, the pandemic simply accelerated the need for studios to catch up. Warner Bros.' experiment could be the first step toward determining just how much audiences' preferences have changed, especially when it comes to big-budget blockbusters. After all, while the cinematic experience is an undeniable sensory pleasure for getting lost in movies, audiences have also proven to be big fans of convenience too, which is a viewing habit that will never go away.
Directed and co-written by Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman 1984 stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal and Natasha Rothwell. The film arrives in theaters and HBO Max on Dec. 25, while debuting theatrically in international markets starting on Dec. 16. The film will be available for a month on HBO Max in the U.S. included at no additional cost.