Blockbuster films hitting streaming services amid shuttered movie theaters continues to be a controversial subject in Hollywood, and in the wake of Scarlett Johansson’s dustup with Disney over Black Widow another woman in Hollywood spoke out about their project seeing a simultaneous debut on streaming.
Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins spoke at CinemaCon on Thursday and expressed frustration with the rollout of her film on HBO Max. Debuting on Christmas day in 2020, the movie had a a disappointing theatrical performance because many theaters were closed in the still-ongoing pandemic. But while the decision to put Warner Bros movies on HBO Max has helped juice the streaming platform’s subscriber count, it’s clear that filmmakers aren’t nearly as happy with the experience as Warners execs.
As the AV Club pointed out, Jenkins called the rollout “heartbreaking.”
Patty Jenkins has spoken out today about the release of her superhero sequel Wonder Woman 1984, calling the film’s hybrid rollout—which placed it simultaneously on both HBO Max and in theaters—“heartbreaking,” and, “the best choice of a bunch of very bad choices.”
As the report noted, Jenkins was speaking to a group of theater owners, so there’s certainly a favorable audience to hear her lament the rise of streaming. But as the filmmaker noted, the hope among many is that the current model that’s sparking so much movie theater anxiety among owners and those in Hollywood is merely temporary.
“It was such a dark time,” she noted, in reference to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the release of her superhero movie. “I don’t think it plays the same on streaming. I did practical effects and shot it in Imax. It was painful. I’m not a fan of day-and-date and I hope to avoid it forever. … I make movies for the big screen experience.
While lamenting unfortunate circumstances for a movie that got middling reviews in general seems pretty standard among directors, the “best choice of a bunch of very bad choices” perspective is extremely valid in this case. It’s easy to simply say that movies are made to be seen in theaters and always will be, but the realities of the pandemic have made consumption of these films a very different — and even potentially dangerous — activity. Most directors have either expressed ambivalence or disappointment about the current model, but few people in general want things to remain as they are. But if the pandemic continues, things will continue to be harrowing for theater owners and the people making movies to put on screen.
[via AV Club]
