There’s no escaping the impact that Covid-19 has had on the entertainment industry. Whilst it pales in comparison to the impact on everyday life. For many the cinema is a way to escape the troubles that exist in the real world.
Many of the major studios have struggled to find the “right” ways to release content in the page 18 months. Disney took a release-by-release approach. Allowing some titles to exist solely in cinemas and others to simultaneously release on Disney+. Others held back titles altogether, we’re looking at you No Time To Die.
Warner Bros. broke the mould early in trying to reach as many as possible with Wonder Woman 1984. A film which we said “2020 never knew it needed… so badly” in our review. The film debuted with just $16.7M at the US box office, falling sharply from the $103.2M made my it’s predecessor.
Whilst many put that drop down to the tepid response from reviewers, there was also another factor in play. WW84 was the first film released under the day-and-date model, simultaneously debuting (in the US) on HBO Max. The relative success the film had in boosting subscriber numbers led Warner to releasing almost its entire 2021 slate using the same model. A decision which caused an outcry from exhibitors, actors and creatives across the industry.
Speaking at a luncheon event as part of the 2021 CinemaCon, Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins spoke her mind about the decision.
“It was the best choice in a bunch of bad choices at the moment” said Jenkins before going on to call the scenario a “heartbreaking experience.”
“It was detrimental to the movie, I knew that could have happened. I don’t think it plays the same on streaming, ever,” she said about the sequel, before exclaiming, “I’m not a fan of day-and-date and I hope to avoid it forever.”
Jenkins finished by simply sayins“I make movies for the big-screen experience.”
What do you think of the day-and-date release model? Has it allowed you to see new movies without the worry of attending a cinema? Let us know in the comments.
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