COVID-19 has taken an unprecedented toll on the film industry. During the last ten days, AMC, Cinemark and Regal Cinemas have closed their theaters indefinitely. As a result, a number of films have been pulled or delayed. Most recently, Issa Rae’s The Lovebirds moved from a theatrical release to a Netflix release. Now, Warner Bros. is faced with a similar decision regarding one of the year’s most highly anticipated films, Wonder Woman 1984.
According to a report from The Wrap, Warner Bros. is considering bypassing theaters and releasing Wonder Woman 1984 straight to streaming services. Warner Bros. has a deal with WarnerMedia to release content through the forthcoming HBO Max streaming service.
Director Patt Jenkins and producer Charles Roven have reportedly been left out of these early discussions. However, reports indicate that the two are still in favor of an August theatrical release.
“It’s ludicrous if you consider how big a movie this is,” Roven said.
“Everybody recognizes that, as interesting as streaming might be, if you want a huge, global worldwide box office, you’ve got to release it in a movie theater,” Roven added.
Despite early discussions, plans are still to release the film through theaters later this year.
