The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world of cinema on its ear with active productions being curtailed, upcoming projects getting cancelled, and theaters being abandoned. On Thursday, Warner Bros. announced a radical and drastic adaption to our new socially-distanced reality. The company announced that every single film it has lined up for release in 2021 will be made available through a “distribution model in which Warner Bros. will continue to exhibit the films theatrically worldwide, while adding an exclusive one month access period on the HBO Max streaming platform in the U.S. concurrent with the film’s domestic release.”
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” WarnerMedia Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a Thursday statement. “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.”
