‘Wonder Woman 1984’ To Hit Theaters and HBO Max Next Month
After months of delaying the release due to the coronavirus, Warner Bros. announced that Wonder Woman 1984 is heading to HBO Max and U.S. movie theaters on the same day. The movie will open in theaters and the subscription-based HBO Max streaming platform on December 25. Warner Media announced the move in a tweet, saying, “We’re thrilled to bring Wonder Woman 1984 to you this Christmas – in theaters and on @hbomax.”
In a post on Warner’s website, the company’s CEO Jason Kilar said, “There are many things that factor into a decision like this,” noting that a big one is, of course, the pandemic. But he also mentioned “Our belief in the theatrical experience and, to that end, the importance of exhibitors,” meaning actual movie theaters.
“Our mission to be strong and supportive partners to Patty [Jenkins, director], Gal [Gadot, who stars as Wonder Woman], producer Chuck Roven and the entire Wonder Woman 1984 team.”
“And finally, the fans, which is where important decisions like this should always start and should always end.
We are, of course, in an extraordinary moment. This entails a patchwork of regulations, geographic considerations and, most importantly, fan preferences. With that in mind, we see an opportunity to do something firmly focused on the fans: give them the power to choose between going to their local cinema or opening on HBO Max. Super-fans will likely choose both. This incredible movie will be available both ways on the exact same day. If you are fortunate to live in a place where theaters are open, we believe we are offering a great option given the Cinema Safe protocols our partners have put in place. With this, exhibitors are offering a movie-going experience with social distancing, masks, cleaning and ventilation protocols. On the other hand, if you and your family prefer to stay in and make your own popcorn this holiday, we want to share the experience of Wonder Woman 1984 with you the exact same day on HBO Max. It’s your decision to make.”
Gadot tweeted, “IT’S TIME. We’ve all waited a long time for this one to come. I can’t tell you how excited I am for all of you to see this movie. It wasn’t an easy decision and we never thought we’d have to hold on to the release for such a long time, but Covid rocked all of our worlds. We feel the movie has never been so relevant and we pope that it’ll bring some joy, hope and love into your hearts. Wonder Woman 1984 is a special one for me, and I can only hope it’ll be as special to you too. We’ve put our hearts and souls into it. So… you can watch it in theaters (they’re doing an amazing job keeping it safe) and you can watch it on HBOMax from your homes. Sending you my love. Please keep safe and wear a mask. Happy holidays to all of us! Let the light shine in.”
Jenkins added, “THE TIME HAS COME. At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else. We love our movie as we love our fans, so we truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season. Watch it IN THEATERS, where it is made safe to do so (check out the great work theaters have done to make it so!) And available in the safety of your home on HBOMAX where it is not. Happy holidays to all of you. We hope you enjoy our film as much as we enjoyed making it.”
Written By: Brian Ives
Feature Image: Warner Bros. Pictures