WarnerBros. plans on debuting 10 films in theaters and on HBO Max in 2022.
HBO Max is about to air 10 exclusive Warner Bros. movies on release day. WarnerMedia has already decided to debut all of its films in theaters and on HBO Max in 2021, and now that trend will continue into 2022.
10 Warner Bros. Movies Are Coming to a Couch Near You
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar spoke about the exclusive content coming to HBO Max during AT&T‘s second-quarter earnings call. Kilar highlighted the importance of a movie’s success both in theaters and reception.
“The movie format absolutely matters, and it matters during a number of the way. It matters at theaters,” Kilar stated, acknowledging Godzilla vs. Kong’s positive turnout at the box office. The film raked in $463 million from theaters alone.
But Kilar also acknowledged how important the cinematic experience is for viewers’ reception. “We feel excellent about the response that buyers have given it within the home,” he said.
That positive response has lead WarnerMedia to point out 10 of its films exclusively on HBO Max. There is no word on which specific films will be released as HBO Max exclusives, but they’re set to return call in 2022.
The pandemic closed theaters across the world, putting movie studios in a significant predicament. Films were instead released on streaming services, like woman 1984’s premiere on HBO Max and Mulan’s debut on Disney+. But now that many vaccines are administered and things are mainly opening up, can we expect this to continue?
According to Kilar, same-day releases on streaming services may become a permanent trend. Kilar spoke to the present during the decision, stating:
I certainly don’t anticipate us going back to how the planet was in 2015 or ’16 or ’17, where windows were quite lengthy between theatrical and residential exhibitions, whether it had been an a la carte transaction or something else…And so, I feel that what you are going to ascertain is that this industry evolves and still innovates in ways that work for consumers and fans and work for our business partners.
In other words, the gap between the house and theater release of flicks is closing, likely until there is no gap in the least.
Will Home Theaters Continue to Reign Supreme in 2022?
Movie theaters probably won’t be happy to listen to that Warner Bros. plans on releasing its films in theaters and on HBO Max. But, if other major movie studios ride this trend into 2022, theaters are going to be dealt yet one more massive blow.
The exclusive films are only excellent news for HBO Max, which saw an enormous uptick in subscribers during the second quarter of 2021. The streaming platform now boasts 47 million subscribers, a severe jump from only 2.8 million within the half-moon.
