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When WB had announced that their entire 2021 slate would release on HBO Max and theaters at the same time, a lot of people were throwing criticism at the studio like filmmakers Christopher Nolan and Denis Villenueve. With Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman 1984 set to come out in HBO Max this week, a lot of people would think she was onboard with the release model, but she does open up about what she thinks of the HBO Max deal.
Talking to The New York Times, Jenkins was asked to comment on whether ‘the genie can be put back in the bottle’ when it comes to WB’s new release model, to which she replies:
I would like to believe that it is temporary, but I’m not sure I do. But I’ll tell you, some studio’s going to go back to the traditional model and cause tremendous upheaval in the industry, because every great filmmaker is going to go work there. And the studios that make this radical change [of moving their theatrical releases to a streaming service], particularly without consulting the artists, will end up with a very empty slate of quality filmmakers working there.
While I do understand that WB is trying to find other ways to cope amid the pandemic, it was kind of a poor move on their part not to consult all the concerned parties like the filmmakers and other studios. There is a lot of money on the line, and it’s very inconsiderate for them to make that risk without informing everyone involved.
Personally, I hope that things turn out fine. I think that the theatrical experience is still relevant, and it probably wouldn’t go away with the new streaming model. At the same time, COVID is still going to be with us for a while, and I can’t really fault WB for trying something new. Let’s all just have our fingers crossed.
Catch Wonder Woman 1984 when it hits HBO Max and theaters on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
