Despite Godzilla vs. Kong proving to be a huge box-office smash as well as simultaneously breaking streaming records on HBO Max, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has delivered some news that will have Christopher Nolan arching his brow, as he revealed that from 2022 Warner Bros. biggest movies will debut in theatres first before winding up on their streaming service.
Speaking to Recode Kilar said “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.”
WarnerMedia’s pandemic prompted decision to simultaneously release their 2021 slate in theatres and streaming sent ripples of discontent throughout Hollywood, even causing the aforementioned Christopher Nolan to part ways with the studio, but following the initial box office performance of Tom & Jerry: The Movie, and now Godzilla vs. Kong, it’s starting to look like a success.
Despite this, Kilar wishes they’d approached it differently at the time, stating “There’s no doubt that it was bumpy back in early December of last year. If I had the chance to do it over again, I think it’s very fair to say that we would have taken a couple more days to see if we could have had even more conversations than we were able to have.”
What do you think of this announcement? Are you pleased that Warner Bros. movies will revert to a theatrical window, or had you got used to the idea of choosing how to consume new releases? Let us know by heading to our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Legends collide in “Godzilla vs. Kong” as these mythic adversaries meet in a spectacular battle for the ages, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Kong and his protectors undertake a perilous journey to find his true home, and with them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But they unexpectedly find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla, cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. The epic clash between the two titans—instigated by unseen forces—is only the beginning of the mystery that lies deep within the core of the Earth.
Godzilla vs. Kong is directed by Adam Wingard (The Guest, Blair Witch) and sees Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Kyle Chandler (Bloodline) and Ziyi Zhang (The Cloverfield Paradox) reprising their roles from Godzilla: King of the Monsters, while new additions to the MonsterVerse include Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies), Julian Dennison (Deadpool 2), Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), Demian Bichir (The Hateful Eight), Rebecca Hall (Holmes and Watson), Jessica Henwick (Iron Fist), Eiza Gonzalez (Baby Driver), Shun Oguri (Crows Zero), Lance Reddick (The Wire) and Kaylee Hottle.
Originally published April 8, 2021. Updated April 9, 2021.
