Warner Bros. has announced that it will be releasing its entire 2021 film lineup through a combination of both theater and HBO Max streaming releases, a press release stated, including big names like “Dune,” “Tom & Jerry” and more.
The studio plans to release the movies worldwide theatrically, but also add a one-month HBO Max subscription in line with each film’s theatrical release, the release stated.
The movies slated to be released include the following, according to the release: “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” and “Matrix 4.”
After that one-month period, each movie will disappear from HBO Max and continue in theaters. On HBO Max, the films will be available in 4K Ultra HD and HDR, according to the release.
The hybrid model was designed to respond to the pandemic, which has largely devastated theater revenues as people chose to stay away from public gathering spaces.
Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which contains Warner Bros., said in the release that the plan would offer a sort of best of both worlds alternative to how things have been this year.
“No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do,” she said, according to the release. “We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films.”
Theaters have struggled to make money this year due to the pandemic as many people chose to stay home to protect themselves from the virus. According to The Wall Street Observer, U.S. box office revenues are projected to drop $6.5 billion in 2020.
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