Wonder Woman’s months of waiting for a release date is finally here. Wonder Woman 1984 will drop on digital streamer HBO Max (in North America) and get a theatrical release in the United States on Christmas Day. The movie’s international theatrical release date is a little earlier on Dec. 16, 2020.
Warner Bros. plans to stream Wonder Woman 1984 for just one month on HBO Max, but will let the film continue to run in movie theaters. Following that, the movie will make its way to digital retailers for purchase and rental options.
The announcement from Warner Bros. was made just hours after theater chains Cineworld and Regal announced their decision to close all their theaters through the end of 2020. Either Warner Bros. kept the pushing the release date further into 2021 and hope for the best or get it out now. The release date had been pushed back five times already.
WHY NOW?
The reason for the multiple delays and the final decision to stream on Warner Bros. upscale streaming service HBO Max is COVID. Bringing movies to consumers’ living rooms quicker is what movie studios want. They’ve battled theater chains for years, trying to move up home media release dates.
If there’s an upside to COVID, it’s that movie studios are getting their way and we benefit from seeing brand new releases at home. Whether this changes after the COVID pandemic finally goes away remains to be seen.
A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
Warner Bros. decision for a Christmas Day release for Wonder Woman 1984 mirrors Disney Pixar’s plan to drop Soul on the Disney+ streaming service on Dec. 25, 2020. Unlike Disney’s Mulan $30 premium fee plan for watching the film early, the two films won’t cost anything more than the subscription fee to the streaming services.
We’re excited to finally watch Wonder Woman 1984 after so many delays. And with the holidays a touch grimmer due to increasing pandemic restrictions, watching a movie premiere on Christmas day makes the holiday a little brighter.
