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Warner Bros.’ 2021 Films to Hit Both HBO Max and Theaters
- The surprise move sends theater-chain stocks plummeting
- Studio already plans to test approach with ‘Wonder Woman’
Warner Bros., one of Hollywood’s biggest studios, plans to release all its major movies next year in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time, a dramatic change that shows just how much Covid-19 and streaming have disrupted the industry.
The 17 films affected by the shift include the new installment of the “Matrix” franchise, the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In the Heights,” and the DC Comics superhero feature “The Suicide Squad.” Each movie will run on the HBO Max streaming platform for one month at no additional charge -- an approach that the AT&T Inc. division was already planning for the debut of “Wonder Woman 1984” on Christmas Day.