The Hollywood landscape is changing forever. Thanks to the global pandemic that effectively shut down the movie and television industry to a grinding halt, delaying releases, closing theaters, stopping productions and more, studios are trying to get creative with how they will release their films moving forward. While some companies, like Marvel Studios, just pushed back their slate of films by a year, other studios are trying different approaches. Case in point: Hot off the heels of announcing that Wonder Woman 1984 coming to HBO Max the same day as cinemas, Warner Bros. Studios will release their entire 2021 slate of films on their HBO Max streaming service the same day as the theatrical release!
WB has officially announced their lineup of 17 films in 2021 that will come out simultaneously in theaters and at home on HBO Max. Now, this isn’t a permanent move, as the new films will only be available at home for the first month of release before leaving the service whilst continuing its theatrical run and following traditional distribution patterns from there onward. Here is the list of films for 2021:
- 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 Macho
- The Matrix 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=43&v=bGy16GQHz-g&feature=emb_title
While some of these films may not be well known upcoming titles, there are many highly anticipated movies coming next year. James Gunn’s sequel/soft reboot, The Suicide Squad is arguably the most wanted comic book film of the year. The Matrix 4 brings Keanu Reeves back to this major action franchise. Mortal Kombat looks to bring the brutality of the game to the big screen. Dune, Godzilla vs Kong, Space Jam, all movies people really want to see – and now they can do it in the comfort of their own home.
WB sees where the trend is headed and are making a power-play in 2021. With it only being on home release for a month, it could actually drive people back to theaters to see it again, or on the bigger screen with a more immersive experience. This could change how box office numbers are tabulated, with opening weekends no longer being the standard bearer of a good film, but rather its numbers a month into its release.
Are you excited to see these WB movies on HBO Max next year? Let us know in the comments below!