“Doctor, are you sure this will work?“
So, corollary to Cineworld’s announcement of exclusivity, Warner Bros. has announced that their entire 2022 slate will be exclusive to theaters for a set period before they head to streaming. Per an interview with Warner’s Jason Kilar with Vox:
I think it’s very fair to say that a big, you know, let’s say a big DC movie … it’s very fair to say that that would go exclusively to theaters first and then go to somewhere like an HBO Max after it’s in theaters.
Warner Bros. Head Jason Kilar
Granted, this doesn’t touch on whether there’s a similar deal with AMC theaters in place. While an earnings call featured AMC’s Adam Aron stating “you should properly assume that if we’re playing Warner movies, we came to agreement with Warner that any changes in their strategy are being done in ways where AMC shareholders benefit”, there’s no guarantee.
The 45-day window is also not an absolute. If Warner sees that one of their films has staying power at the box office, they can and probably will let it ride beyond that mark. It’s overall unlikely, but they can exercise the option at will.
As to whether this is overall a strategy that’ll succeed? Well, that’s just something that has to be observed. While vaccines are rolling out, there’s the possibility that this move will fall flat on its face. Films have seen higher theatrical turnout in overseas venues, where they were hit far less by the pandemic. This isn’t quite so in the US, however, where the same films, like Tenet, brought in only a fraction of what they made in China.
Source: IGN
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