As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shake up theater releases, AT&T CEO John Stankey said he’d be very surprised if Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984 premiered on streaming services or as video on demand.
Stankey spoke to these two Warner Bros. movies — AT&T is the parent company of Warner Bros. — in a recent earnings call and reiterated the importance of theatrical releases for tentpole movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984. He didn’t rule out subscription and VOD integration into the company’s future schedule though.
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“Do I think that there could be some things that we had originally chartered and built for theatrical release that maybe migrate into a (subscription and video on demand) construct?” Stankey asked during the earnings call, according to The Wrap. “Sure I think that could occur. Is it going to happen on a movie like Tenet or something like Wonder Woman 1984? I’d be very surprised if that would be the case.”
Stankey took it a step further and said he can “assure you on Tenet that’s not going to be the case.” He said that the theatrical release will always have an important role moving forward for Warner Bros. There is content that is more enjoyable and better to see in theaters than in a living room, Stankey added.
Stankey continued and said that content on the margins might be looked at as better to distribute in “another construct,” likely alluding to VOD. Universal Pictures’ Trolls World Tour took a theatrical detour down that route and it was a huge success.
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Tenet was delayed to August last month before it was announced this week that it has been indefinitely delayed. This news comes after reports that Tenet director Christopher Nolan pushed for a July release date, despite Warner Bros. market judgement.
On the DC side of Warner Bros. movies, Wonder Woman 1984 is currently looking at an October 2, 2020, release date, although considering the movie has been delayed four times already, who really knows when this movie will hit theaters.
In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins to put her future plans for additional movies on pause. As we patiently await the movie’s theatrical release, read about Kristen Wiig’s Cheetah character from the movie and then check out how Hero Within is making some Wonder Woman 1984-inspired clothing pieces available for everyone at home. Here are some ways to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Source: IGN.com AT&T Boss on Whether Tenet, Wonder Woman 1984 Will Skip Theaters for VOD