‘Wonder Woman 1984’ To Be Released On Both Theatres And HBO Max

With the second wave of the pandemic hitting most parts of the world, hundreds of theatres are closing once again all across the U.S. and Europe. Despite that, Wonder Woman 1984 isn’t budging from its release date.

Wonder Woman 1984 will be debuting on both U.S. theatres and HBO Max on Christmas Day. Warner Bros. has announced that they will be releasing the much-anticipated superhero film simultaneously on the subscription-based platform and big screen on the same day. The film will be available for a month on HBO Max with no additional charges to subscribers.

In the international market where HBO Max isn’t available, Wonder Woman 1984 will start screening on Dec. 16.

“The time has come,” Patty Jenkins, director of the film wrote on Twitter. “At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else. We love our move as we love our fans, so we truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season.”

Jenkins also urged audiences to watch the film in theatres only where it was safe and on HBO Max where it was not. “Watch it in theaters, where it is made safe to do so (check out the great work theaters have done to make it so!) And available in the safety of your home on HBO Max where it is not. Happy holidays to all of you. We hope you enjoy our film as much as we enjoyed making it,” she added.

The move was surprising but not unexpected given that 50% of U.S. theatres have closed down. Even major movie going markets like Los Angeles and New York have been affected.

“As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures. “This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the U.S. where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform.”

In normal times, theatres wouldn’t have allowed the screening of a film that’s also debuting simultaneously at home. But it seems that the goodwill between Warner Bros. and cinema owners is good enough to make an exception.

“We appreciate how patient audiences have been and given the great anticipation around ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ we are grateful to be able to make this terrifically entertaining movie widely available in these challenging times,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Wonder Woman 1984’s theatrical release has been delayed numerous times. It was set to debut in June but given the ongoing pandemic, plans were pushed to Dec. 25.