Though the recent deal between Warner Bros. and HBO Max that sends the studio’s entire 2021 film lineup to the streaming service day-and-date with theaters doesn’t officially begin until January with “The Little Things,” many see “Wonder Woman 1984” as the test case for the new paradigm. That means that director Patty Jenkins probably has some thoughts on this incredibly important deal that could be the final nail in the coffin of the traditional theatrical release model. And guess what? She has thoughts.
Speaking to The New York Times, Jenkins discussed the WB/HBO Max release strategy and she isn’t so sure that it’s as temporary as WarnerMedia would like you to believe. When it was announced, and over the course of subsequent interviews, WarnerMedia folks have been quick to say that this is only for 2021 and once theaters return to “normal,” then the typical theatrical release strategy will continue. Jenkins is skeptical.
“I would like to believe that it is temporary, but I’m not sure I do,” said Jenkins. “But I’ll tell you, some studio’s going to go back to the traditional model and cause tremendous upheaval in the industry, because every great filmmaker is going to go work there. And the studios that make this radical change [of moving their theatrical releases to a streaming service], particularly without consulting the artists, will end up with a very empty slate of quality filmmakers working there.”
And it appears that her belief that the genie can’t necessarily be put back in the bottle after Warner Bros. releases its 2021 slate on HBO Max might be the cause for her not returning to the “Wonder Woman” franchise after ‘WW84.’
“We’ll see what happens [with ‘Wonder Woman 3’],” she said. “I really don’t know. I know that I’d love to do the third one if the circumstances were right and there was still a theatrical model possible. I don’t know that I would if there wasn’t.”
At the beginning of this whole WB/HBO Max thing, it appeared that maybe the studio would have Jenkins in its corner, considering that she was approving of the deal with “Wonder Woman 1984,” but it seems as if she’s soured on the studio a little given how WB didn’t inform filmmakers prior to the massive, disruptive deal was announced.
And the fallout of that decision might mean WB needs to start looking for someone else to helm a third ‘WW’ film. I mean, she already has that little “Star Wars” thing in the works, so it’s not like Jenkins is hurting for work.