Warner bros backs dual-release decision for HBO Max

Ann Sarnoff, the chairman and CEO of Warner Bros, has defended the studio's new hybrid distribution model, under which the company will release its films both theatrically and on streamer HBO Max.

Christopher Nolan

Last week, Warner Bros had announced that its entire slate of films for the year 2021 will premiere both in theatres and on HBO Max. Among the films that are set to be available both theatrically and on HBO Max are big-budget tentpoles such as Denis Villeneuve's Dune, The Suicide Squad, monster movie Godzilla vs Kong, and Keanu Reeves-starrer The Matrix 4.

In an interview, Sarnoff said the new release model is a response to the disruption caused by the pandemic. "We've been trying to figure out the best way forward for the last eight months, since we first went into lockdown with all our movies and television shows. So, we thought this was a win-win situation. People who don't have access to theatres in the US can still see the movies. Also, we'll be able to market them better, because we're marketing on multiple distribution platforms," she said.

Sarnoff's statement came a day after filmmaker Christopher Nolan, whose latest film was released by the Warner Bros, slammed the studio for the new plan. The executive said that when the studio released Tenet in the US in September, they realised that the movie's performance was at odds with how it was received overseas. The movie raked in $60 millions, while in international markets, it earned over $300 million.

"The theatres were open and people visited them. [Things seemed to have returned] to normal, but what we've learned through Tenet is that the US is not quite ready yet to fully reopen, and have full engagement of fans. So, we'll look at a theatrical box office as well as a release on HBO Max." She also said that the hybrid release model is only meant for the year 2021, and that the studio heads would revisit their decision later.

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