Warner Bros. was already using a version of this hybrid model to release its last remaining 2020 blockbuster, Wonder Woman 1984, simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max on Christmas.
Today, Warner Bros. revealed its plan for what it calls a “hybrid distribution model,” that will release “its 2021 film slate via a unique, consumer-focused distribution model in which Warner Bros. will continue to exhibit the films theatrically worldwide, while adding an exclusive one month access period on the HBO Max streaming platform in the U.S. concurrent with the film’s domestic release.”
That could mean that HBO Max subscriptions have shot up so much since the Wonder Woman announcement that they feel encouraged to try this strategy for all their movies.
In fact, one studio isn’t waiting until 2021 to announces its intentions to stray from the time-tested model of theatrical release followed by home video.