Why Is Christopher Nolan Upset About HBO Max?
After being delayed multiple times due to the coronavirus pandemic, Warner Bros. recently announced that Wonder Woman 1984 would be streaming on HBO Max the same day it releases in US theaters.
Warner Bros. is HBO Max’s parent company, meaning there was no expensive deal to bring Wonder Woman 1984 to the platform—though some reports claim that director Paddy Jenkins and star Gal Godot received large pay outs to support the decision.
Not long after, Warner Bros. then announced that its entire 2021 line-up, consisting of 17 films like The Suicide Squad, The Matrix 4, and Dune, would debut simultaneously in theaters and HBO Max.
The move was seen as a huge boom for the streaming industry, but a massive knock to traditional theaters. Now, Christopher Nolan has spoken to The Hollywood Reporter to weigh in:
Nolan’s epic Tenet film released in US theaters in September 2020 to less-than-ideal performance, but the director insisted it had a traditional release. It seems Warner Bros. felt the experiment didn’t pay off.
Nolan continued:
Will Streaming Services Replace Theater?
The impact of COVID-19 on the world cannot be overstated. For the entertainment industry, theaters across the globe have had to close their doors. Many of them would have been hoping on some return to normality in 2021.
This move from Warner Bros. puts question marks around that. Already a struggling business, it’s unclear how theaters can survive when against the convenience of streaming services. Has this sped up their demise? Or will it force them to radically alter their proposition?
It’s going to be fascinating to see how the industry react to Warner Bros.’ decision and whether studios like Disney will respond in equal for Disney+.
HBO Max Has No Free Trial
If you were hoping you could sign up to a free trial of HBO Max to watch all these new films, think again. The service has removed its free trials and you will need to subscribe if you want to access any of its content.
