- All 2021 movies on the docket from Warner Bros. will debut on HBO Max.
- The films will also land in cinemas at the same time, but you won’t need to go there to see one.
- This represents a seismic shift not only for Warner Bros. and HBO Max, but the industry at large.
Today, Warner Bros. Pictures Group announced that it will drastically change the way it releases new films in 2021. The studio revealed that every single one of the movies it has so far on its 2021 calendar will see a debut on streaming service HBO Max. The films will still also launch in theaters, but now you won’t need to wait to watch it in your home. Watching the films on HBO Max will not cost anything more than the usual monthly subscription fee.
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Warner’s upcoming slate of movies includes Wonder Woman 1984, the next sequel in The Matrix series, the next sequel in The Conjuring series, the Dune remake, a new Mortal Kombat film, the long-awaited Godzilla vs Kong, and many more. All of these films will have an exclusive one-month window on HBO Max that happens concurrently with the in-theater releases.
2021 movies on HBO Max
The first film to debut with the new model will be the Wonder Woman sequel on December 25, 2020.
After the one-month period ends, the films will continue their theatrical run but exit HBO Max. Afterward, physical media and third-party streaming releases will happen as usual.
This now makes HBO Max a unique offering in the streaming video industry. No other streaming service offers films that are currently in theaters, especially at no extra cost to the consumers.
HBO Max and Warner Bros. are both owned by AT&T’s Warner Media, which is how this partnership is possible. It is unlikely that films from other studios will adopt this model. However, along with Disney’s commitment to streaming, this seismic shift in how the industry views online streaming could represent a new era of film releases.
HBO Max is currently available in the United States but will launch in Latin America and Europe by the second half of 2021. Interestingly, HBO Max also announced today that it is terminating its free seven-day trial for new subscribers. If you want to give HBO Max a shot now, you’ll need to pay from the get-go.
