Theatres have remained shut for more than half of this year due to the pandemic, this has made viewers shift to streaming platforms as the lockdown was in effect. According to CEO Adam Aron, AMC Theatres supports Warner Bros. as a new Wonder Woman release schedule in 1984.
Wonder Woman has endured several release delays, beginning with the Warner Brother who poured it into 2019-June 2020, in the long-awaited sequel to Patty Jenkins’ hit in 2017. It seemed to be a smart step back then but it was nearly impossible to release important films in theatres because of the coronavirus pandemic. Wonder Woman 1984 was again postponed three times and sent to December 25 with the most recent update.
While Warner Bros. suggested that they were dedicated in October to the Christmas date, many thought that Wonder Woman would be again delayed. The attendance of film theatres is still poor, and main markets have been shut down.
That is why many were surprised when Warner Bros revealed yesterday that Wonder Woman would be released in December, and would make its debut on HBO Max the same day. Within the first month of their release, HBO Max subscribers are free to watch Wonder Woman 1984. This means that it is now one of the many films to embrace a pandemic streaming strategy.
Talking to Variety, AMC Entertainment Chief Executive Officer and President Adam Aron clarified that the theatre chain is very much on board with Warner Bros.’ “What this movie blockbuster will best look like in AMC’s Theatres during these extraordinary times has been inactive and deep dialogue with Warner Brothers for several months. Provided that atypical conditions involve atypical economic ties between the studios and theatres and atypical windows and launches, AMC is completely on the board for the Warner Brothers announcement now.
He reiterated that AMC has acknowledged the need for its business plans to be versatile while the theatre experience is above all else. “We hope movie lovers enjoy Wonder Woman 1984 during the holidays this year at AMC,” Aron concluded.
For AMC, which blasted studios earlier this year for directly streaming movies instead of waiting for theatrical release, this is a great move forward. The main goal of AMC was Universal, but they did not like other studios to do the same.
However, 1984 is a special case for Wonder Woman. There’s still a run in theatres, and AMC can still take advantage of it. AMC showed its willingness to partner with other studios on potential releases that can be mutually beneficial by recognizing Warner Bros’s position on this issue.
That makes Wonder Woman 1984, one of the few that actually arrives in the year, the new main edition for 2020. Warner Bros. apparently has found the best of the two worlds where they can release their film in the theatres to those who want the experience. Several smaller films have taken this approach, but Wonder Woman 1984 is the largest film to date. How well this works for Wonder Woman 1984 would be fascinating to see and it is safe to assume that this is now the best option for her.
