Warner Bros. Announce Streaming Plans

Warner Bros shockingly announces all of its 2021 titles will launch simultaneously to theaters and its streaming platform HBO Max in the US. The slate includes Matrix 4, Dune, and Suicide Squad. The news has international exhibitors scrambling to keep up.  Currently, HBO Max is oly available in the US, but the platform has made an indication toward expanding its reach.

On December 3rd, Andy Forssel, the Head of HBO Max Global, held an online web conference summit during which Andy stated the streaming service will be available in Latin America and some European territories by "end of next year." WarnerMedia's plan is to upgrade the HBO Now streaming service to HBO Max in those territories. 

HBO Now is not currently available in the U.K., France, Germany, or Italy due to HBO having muti-year output deals with local TV operators.

Warner Bros is planning a theatrical bow for Wonder Woman1984 and its 2021 slate. However, it is unclear how long this theatrical window will be in each territory. In the United Kingdom, the film is set to release in a tier structure based on cinema operations, tier 1 begins December 16th. London is listed in tier 2 as of now.

Instead of the typical 16-week gap, Warner Bros is estimating for an early VOD release, just 28 days after the titles reach theaters. 

France plans to allow theaters to reopen on December 15th with a 9pm - 7am curfew in place. Both Italy and Germany have extended lockdown measures until January. Even though the completion of the release schedule is not clear, Warner Bros is certain their negotiations with exhibitors will resume as theaters reopen.