Warner Sending Entire 2021 Slate to HBO Max and Theaters.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Originally Posted by hudson4k

You were the biggest offender of this and your location still says "Not in the movie theater."

Well cause it's true isn't?

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

No wonder they've been working overtime on social media.

You'd do much worse for $10 million.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Mulan, Soul would not be flops in regular circumstances

Those were not the movies I was referring to.

Disney is mulling Disney Plus premieres for Cruella, Peter Pan and Wendy, and Pinocchio

[CyberpunkCentral]

Originally Posted by BaronVH

I suppose I am in the minority here, but I agree with Nolan. I like movies. Period. I like everything from low budget indie films to big budget popcorn productions, and to think this will not have a negative impact is a problem. I want Dune Part Two. No way does this happen with their model. There are lots of names in the credits of a motion picture. Those are not all studio employees. They need to make another film. This is not like a restaurant closing the dining room for two years. This is like the restaurant doing that and saying that they have a supply of food and are not going to order more when the stock runs out, leaving the supplier, farmer, and drivers out to dry. I understand many don’t like how several theaters operate. I agree, but they have been adapting (slowly, to be sure). I get that is is convenient for people to just watch these at home for selfish reasons, but this decision will have long term ramifications on the quality of the entertainment. Obviously I would like quality entertainment for my own selfish reasons, but I also understand that the hundreds of people in those credits have jobs too and need to work. People have said they enjoy the bigwigs in Hollywood being taken down a notch, but most people that work on these films do not fall into that category; i.e. caterers, drivers, carpenters, etc.

I don't exactly disagree with Nolan. I'm just like, WTF do y'all want WB to do? Lets say they do delay everything to 2022, that would be a PACKED year. In fact, it's suicidal for all those films to come out at the same year. If you going to lose money, might as well do it to plant the seed for the company's future benefits.

[Lee A Stewart]

HBO Max Has Reached 12.6 Million Activations, AT&T CEO John Stankey Reports, With Engagement Up 36% In Past Month

HBO Max, which closed the third quarter at 8.6 million activated subscribers in the U.S., has added another four million to reach 12.6 million as of early December, according to AT&T CEO John Stankey.

In a keynote appearance today at the UBS Global TMT Virtual Conference, the executive said total hours of engagement have also risen 36% in the past 30 days. While he didn’t elaborate on how many hours that added up to, Stankey cited programming like HBO’s The Undoing and HBO Max original The Flight Attendant.

AT&T will report its fourth-quarter financial results, as well as updated streaming numbers, in January. Stankey said the company is “pleased” with the progress toward its stated goal of 50 million U.S. subscribers and 75 million to 90 million globally by 2025. “We’re actually ahead of plan,” he said.

https://deadline.com/2020/12/hbo-max...ng-1234652083/

[xbs2034]

Originally Posted by CyberpunkCentral

I don't exactly disagree with Nolan. I'm just like, WTF do y'all want WB to do? Lets say they do delay everything to 2022, that would be a PACKED year. In fact, it's suicidal for all those films to come out at the same year. If you going to lose money, might as well do it to plant the seed for the company's future benefits.

Two obvious things WB could’ve done differently were not go same day theaters/streaming. Do a three week to month window like Universal is doing and even Netflix (with Trial of the Chicago 7, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). It still gives theaters some exclusivity, while also making sure they hit the HBO Max service quick enough to make a splash (before it was announced, the rumor was it would be WW84 in theaters Christmas and HBO Max in January).

And the other thing is they could’ve just said it’s a temporary measure until box office recovers, and not announce a whole year in advance. I’m not sure moviegoing will return to normal in 2021 either, but seems like a potential end is in sight with the vaccines. So to go so far in advance strongly suggests a business movie and not something totally driven by the pandemic.

And even if they made the same decision, to not consult with talent and production partners in advance is incredibly stupid, and no doubt is behind some of the anger directed towards WB.

[Lee A Stewart]

Many times in Business like in Life . . . It is better to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Those were not the movies I was referring to.

I just wish they’d do the hybrid model, this is only screwing theaters over more by not supplying them with product.

However Disney’s last Peter Pan WAS disastrous at the box office (Searchlight’s Wendy, and they skipped the BD/DVD on that too), and I can’t imagine Garrone’s Pinocchio is doing spectacularly as a virtual cinema release (or indeed in the UK cinema release.)

[mpstjohn]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

I just wish they’d do the hybrid model, this is only screwing theaters over more by not supplying them with product.

This is a hybrid model, and will be even more so when HBO Max expands next year. What the theaters have lost isn't content but exclusivity.

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by mpstjohn

WB had to recoup the money they'd spent on this while Nolan made more money than he has before.

He's made much more on other pictures even though he had an unprecedented percentage deal. By pushing for the release this Summer, he left a lot of money on the table: it would have been in his financial interest to have kept the movie back but, if you look back to the Summer, people were begging for Tenet to be released to save the day. When it didn't pay off, most of those same people turned on him.

If as a sign of goodwill he'd been willing to share some of that extra money he made with the theaters or have WB draw up a new contract to cut the theaters better into the profits we might not have seen so many theaters closing afterward.

As we've seen this week, Warners didn't even tell talent about this deal so it's not as if he was somehow powerful enough to dictate what terms the studios gave theaters. Assuming he did get his originally contracted 20% of the US gross, how long would that $10m have kept those 41,172 screens open? Theaters closing is not down to Nolan, Messiah complex or not. There are, in case you haven't noticed, other factors.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Bn43

In the home? It's ALWAYS been about filling the screen, which is why most shows made for TVs do and why too many remasters are still cropped.

At least I won't be alone anymore in wanting more modern shows and movies with different aspect ratios, like academy. I doubt it's always the director or cinematographer's decision anyway. It can also be mandated by the studio.

Spotlight on Zack Snyder Panel - YouTube

16:00 to 22:00: Snyder saying he wanted to present 300 in a more square aspect ratio. He couldn't because of cinema expectations.

Scope is cramped. Of course a movie can look wonderful in scope, but I feel too many movies are in scope that don't need to be, simply because it's considered "cinematic" and fills the massive projection screen better for the few months it is exhibited theatrically.

I'm not suggesting cropping anything. Cropping taller aspect ratios to be more "cinematic" bothers me too.

But movies are not TV, they're all not made to fill one particular screen size and as long as filmmakers consider what effect the aspect ratio has on the story that they're telling then they will continue to use different ones. Heck, even TV is not TV any more, you can't have missed how many streaming series and TV dramas are being done in 2:1 or 2.39 these days because people are after that "cinematic" look. Making everything 1.78 would be creatively stifling.

And just as some directors may have wanted a taller AR like yon Snyder (amazing that he's been "forced" to shoot widescreen all these years), some directors also wanted it narrower all this time, like Wong Kar-wai with Fallen Angels. Besides which, Snyder is releasing ZSJL in like a 1.44 aspect so that's not gonna fill your screen either! So neither example means much w/ref to your point of FILL MAH SCREEN, as filmmakers gonna filmmaker and that's not going to change any time soon even if the consumer's first contact with that material is soley through a TV screen and not a cinema one.

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by mpstjohn

This is a hybrid model, and will be even more so when HBO Max expands next year. What the theaters have lost isn't content but exclusivity.

Exactly. It just gives consumers choice, which is what seemingly people are terrified of. They don't want people to have a choice, because they know that "the theater experience" has been overrated for quite some time now.

Like many things with Covid, this has simply accelerated market trends.

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by mpstjohn

This is a hybrid model, and will be even more so when HBO Max expands next year. What the theaters have lost isn't content but exclusivity.

I wish DISNEY would do the hybrid model

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

HBO Max Has Reached 12.6 Million Activations, AT&T CEO John Stankey Reports, With Engagement Up 36% In Past Month



https://deadline.com/2020/12/hbo-max...ng-1234652083/

So what your saying is since the announcement AT&T has made 69 million dollars... yeah gonna guess that's good right? Also means if theres retention which is what's going to matter AT&T can justify WW84 as a HBO Max exclusive. O and the bright side for AT&T they keep all the money and dont have to share.

[DustnBones001]

I can't see how any rational person can side with nolan here. Nolan would rather people risk their health so he can benefit $$$ instead of people being able to enjoy some entertainment during a pandemic in a safe manner. You think he would've learned when his film flopped this year.

Honestly **** him and other director's upset by this.

People's health is more important than your wallet.

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by DustnBones001

I can't see how any rational person can side with nolan here. Nolan would rather people risk their health so he can benefit $$$ instead of people being able to enjoy some entertainment during a pandemic.

Honestly **** him and other director's upset by this.

People's health is more important than your wallet.

When Nolan learns how to mix audio he can talk. Every movie he's made since Dark Knight Rises says look at me.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by R3P0

When Nolan learns how to mix audio he can talk. Every movie he's made since Dark Knight Rises says look at me.

I think you mean listen to me.

He won’t this is how he wants it mixed, bad sounding and all!

[BillieCassin]

Originally Posted by DustnBones001

I can't see how any rational person can side with nolan here. Nolan would rather people risk their health so he can benefit $$$ instead of people being able to enjoy some entertainment during a pandemic in a safe manner. You think he would've learned when his film flopped this year.

Honestly **** him and other director's upset by this.

People's health is more important than your wallet.

What is worse is that the crybabies like Nolan are pretending it is all about the mythical "big screen experience!" and not admitting it is just about their wallets.

Warners will buy out everyone who needs to be bought out.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by R3P0

So what your saying is since the announcement AT&T has made 69 million dollars... yeah gonna guess that's good right? Also means if theres retention which is what's going to matter AT&T can justify WW84 as a HBO Max exclusive. O and the bright side for AT&T they keep all the money and dont have to share.

No - they made much more. AT&T stock is up $.99. 7.2B shares outstanding = $7.2 billion

[R3P0]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

No - they made much more. AT&T stock is up $.99. 7.2B shares outstanding = $7.2 billion

So does that mean WW84 made 7.2 Billion if so Patty and Gal in for a HUGE payday lol either way Warners just gave the preverbal middle finger and this is going to prove to others that the models need to change.