Warner will release all of its new movies streaming and in theaters in 2021

This “hybrid model” will affect 17 productions, including Matrix 4, the remake of Dune and Suicide Squad.

Warner Bros will release all of its 2021 films on the HBO Max streaming platform and in theaters simultaneously, including the Matrix 4 and Denis Villeneuve’s remake of Dune, the studio announced Thursday 3-D, as a measure to circumvent the pandemic.

“We live in unprecedented times that require creative solutions,” said Ann Sarnoff, President and CEO of Warner Bros.

“Nobody wants movies to come back to the big screen more than we do. We know new content is vital to theaters, but we have to balance it with the reality that most cinemas in America will likely be reduced capacity by 2021,” he explained. .

The decision is expected to affect at least 17 titles, including the highly anticipated The Sopranos prequel, The Many Saints of Newark, and DC superhero sequel, The Suicide Squad (Suicide Squad).

This announcement follows Warner’s earlier decision to premiere Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day via its streaming platform at the same time as the big screen, a radical gamble for one of Hollywood’s largest studios, which the industry had widely deemed a isolated case.

Forced to innovate

Before the pandemic, blockbuster films were only shown on the big screen for a period of about 90 days. But with theaters closed in many parts of the United States, including New York and Los Angeles, distributors have been forced to innovate.

The “hybrid model” will make films available on HBO Max’s streaming platform in the US for one month, starting on theatrical release date.

On the other hand, the films will continue to be shown in foreign cinemas.

Major Hollywood studios are struggling to resist the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and have seen many of their highly successful release plans fail.

Warner released Tenet in theaters over the summer, but made only modest US box office gains.

For its part, Disney launched Mulan on its Disney + streaming service in September and will premiere the Pixar Soul (Alma) title on the same platform on Christmas Day in the US.