In a move that is likely to piss off some theater chains (*cough* AMC *cough*), Warner Bros. has announced that Wonder Woman 1984 will be released into theaters and on HBO Max on the same day. This Christmas, you’ll be able to open the presents, turn on your TV, boot up HBO Max, and enjoy some Wonder Woman action without risking your life to do so. You could also throw caution to the wind if you want: the choice is yours!
⚔️Wonder Woman 1984 will be released in theaters and streaming on HBO Max on the exact same day⚔️
Dust off your shield and tell me who you’ll watch @WonderWomanFilm with on December 25. #WW84 pic.twitter.com/QiMApKxLZJ— HBO Max (@hbomax) November 19, 2020
Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, told Variety, “We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform.”
Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, added, “We appreciate how patient audiences have been and given the great anticipation around ‘Wonder Woman 1984′ we are grateful to be able to make this terrifically entertaining movie widely available in these challenging times.”
Considering that COVID cases are currently on the rise and more theaters are beginning to close, this seems like the best possible compromise that WB Pictures could make right now. Director Patty Jenkins has been a staunch defender of the moviegoing experience, but even she understands this is the correct move.
“At some point, you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else,” Jenkins said on Twitter. “We love our move as we love our fans, so we truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to all of you this holiday season…Happy holidays to all of you. We hope you enjoy our film as much as we enjoyed making it.”