
The cat is out of the bag.
In a surprising move, Warner Bros. has announced that it will be releasing its 2021 line-up of films on HBO Max to run simultaneously with the theater release dates in the US.
Thus, viewers can opt to catch the movies in cinemas or on their TV sets - or both.
Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot will serve as the opening salvo of this arrangement on December 25, 2020.
The other movies slated for release by the giant media company next year include The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune, and Matrix 4.
The decision was influenced by the lingering uncertainty surrounding cinema operations until next year.
Warner Bros. said that US theaters “will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.”
So far, this unique set-up is only earmarked to be rolled out in the States.
There's no indication at least as of the moment if the HBO experiment will be extended to other locations such as Europe or Asia.