HBO Max released this new promo imagery as part of their announcement:
This news will impact Warner Bros. Pictures Group 2021 expected* (which they included in their announcement with an asterisk) release slate, which currently includes The Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Reminiscence, Malignant, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard, Cry Macho and Matrix 4.
“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group,” said WarnerMedia Studios Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff in a statement. “No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films. We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”“This hybrid exhibition model enables us to best support our films, creative partners and moviegoing in general throughout 2021,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “We have a fantastic, wide ranging slate of titles from talented and visionary filmmakers next year, and we’re excited to be able get these movies in front of audiences around the world. And, as always, we’ll support all of our releases with innovative and robust marketing campaigns for their theatrical debuts, while highlighting this unique opportunity to see our films domestically via HBO Max as well.”
This news comes after Warner Bros. already announced similar plans for Wonder Woman 1984, which will come out in theaters and on HBO Max on December 25th. As HBO Max is currently only available in the United States, this means Warner Bros. international debuts of these films will continue as planned, as The Hollywood Reporter points out. Per THR’s Aaron Couch, “Some partners such as Legendary, which has Godzilla vs. Kong, were not aware” that this news was happening.
These massive releases will join the previously announced 2021 debuts of Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the Friends reunion special, Gossip Girl reboot as well as the new season of Succession, making this the biggest calling card for HBO Max to drive new subscribers yet.
While release dates still could shift, these are the currently announced release dates for each of the movies in Warner Bros.’s 2021 slate:
- The Little Things – January 29, 2021
- Tom & Jerry – March 5, 2021
- The Many Saints of Newark – March 12, 2021
- Reminiscence – April 16, 2021
- Godzilla vs. Kong – May 21, 2021
- The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It – June 4, 2021
- In The Heights – June 18, 2021
- Space Jam: A New Legacy – July 16, 2021
- The Suicide Squad – August 6, 2021
- Dune – October 1, 2021
- King Richard – November 19, 2021
- Matrix 4 – December 22, 2021
- Cry Macho – TBD
- Malignant – TBD
- Those Who Wish Me Dead – TBD
- Mortal Kombat – TBD
- Judas and the Black Messiah – TBD
HBO Max posted about the news on its Twitter page along with a short video teasing all the upcoming titles that consumers will now be able to watch, as it touts, “in theaters and on HBO Max the exact same day.”
A release from WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar about this news also revealed that principal photography for House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones spinoff series, will start “in a few months,” revealing new concept art which you can see below:
Terri Schwartz is Director of Content Strategy and Partnerships at IGN. Talk to her on Twitter at @Terri_Schwartz.