Submitted by Market Crumbs,
2020 has undoubtedly been a horrible year for the film industry and movie theater operators as a result of Covid-19.
In a bid to salvage what it can from its 2021 film slate, Warner Bros. Pictures announced earlier this month that it will simultaneously release all of its 2021 films in theaters and on its HBO Max streaming service in what it calls an "innovative, hybrid distribution model."
"We're living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group," WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff said.
Last week saw Warner Bros. Pictures put its new model to the test with the release of Wonder Woman 1984. The film brought in $16.7 million in box office sales, making it the top post-pandemic domestic opening weekend for any feature film. Wonder Woman 1984 has now brought in more than $85 million globally since its release.
WarnerMedia said more than 10,000 private movie theater rentals were booked as only 39% of cinemas in the U.S. remain open at limited capacity. Wonder Woman 1984 is available at more than 2,100 theaters nationwide compared to 4,165 theaters for the first Wonder Woman film.
Nearly half of HBO Max subscribers viewed Wonder Woman 1984 on its first day of streaming as the platform saw total viewing hours more than triple compared to a typical day over the previous month.
"Wonder Woman 1984 broke records and exceeded our expectations across all of our key viewing and subscriber metrics in its first 24 hours on the...