Some might look at the decision of releasing “Wonder Woman 1984” in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day as a punch in the gut to theater owners. Who is actually going to pay money to watch ‘WW84’ in theaters when they can get a 4K version in the comfort of their own home for the price of an HBO Max subscription? Well, Patty Jenkins, director of the film, understands this concern. She’s worried about theaters, too. But Jenkins believes this strategy is the right more for her film.
Speaking on the Happy. Sad. Confused. podcast, Jenkins talked about the future of the film industry, as the theatrical release window gets shattered and exhibitors begin to worry about paying the bills as they enter the wintery months. But even though she is worried about the future, she thinks “Wonder Woman 1984” landing on streaming and in theaters at the same time is the right thing to do.
“I’m feeling very worried, very worried [about the future of theaters and cinemagoing],” Jenkins said. “I never thought I would be someone who would embrace [the ‘Wonder Woman 1984’] release plan, but I do. I embrace our release plan. It felt like the right moment. I felt the desire to share something positive with the world overrode money.”
She added, “I was like, ‘Listen, every movie happens for a different reason. Let’s not keep waiting forever when we could give this right now. Let’s just do it.’ Release it, it won’t make as much money, and yet, it feels like it will be something that could fill this holiday season with something new to watch.”
But even though she believes ‘WW84’ is right to debut in this new streaming/theatrical hybrid strategy, Jenkins isn’t a fan of this being the new norm.
“However, I am not at all behind the idea of doing this as a [regular] release plan going forward,” she said. “Also, I don’t understand it because I feel like there are already streaming giants out there and I feel like Hollywood has this tragic repetition of everybody going after the same thing and it just makes no sense.”
One of the major concerns that the filmmaker shared is the thought that these major studios like Universal, Warner Bros., and Disney are going to use their films as a way to somehow compete with the likes of Netflix and “turn their back on” theaters.
“So, for studios to turn their back on what they do have going for them to pursue Netflix, who is already way ahead of them is so strange to me,” Jenkins explained. “Like I don’t get it at all. Like, ok, the general audience is not going to subscribe to that many things. They’re gonna subscribe to 2-3 things. So, you could throw away your entire studio system and the future of your ability to go back and make revenue, by rolling the dice that you become one of the [top] 3 [streamers] they pay for. I just don’t get it.”
While the release of WW84 feeds into all of this and could be exactly what WB is doing with HBO Max, neither the interviewer nor Jenkins addresses the slippery slope she may have started herself.
“And [streamers are] gonna have to lower their prices to be competitive with each other,” she added. “So, what Netflix is doing before, you’re not going to be able to make that revenue either.”– not sure we need this quote, but for context cause it leads into the last one.
If everyone, including the studios, is streaming and there’s no theatrical, Jenkins says people like Netflix and Apple with deep pockets still win.
“And, here’s the kicker, Netflix has gotten where [it has] because it’s willing to pay [artists] that much money, and these studios don’t have that money,”S said Jenkins. “Right? So why would any of us go work with the studios again? Hell no, I’m gonna go make a movie for Netflix. Why would I ever make a studio movie, they can’t even pay mildly…. anyhow, I don’t understand it. I understand that Warner Bros. is saying this is temporary, and we’re only going to do it through the pandemic. I absolutely hope that’s true, although I don’t understand why everything had to been decided, but it is what it is. I hope that it’s not the beginning of anything.”
We just have to wait and see what effect this hybrid release of Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman 1984” has on theaters when the film arrives on December 25. And you can listen to the entire interview below: