Since the start of the pandemic, whenever James Bond moves, the other Hollywood blockbusters move him. But this time around, some studios are standing firm after No Time to Die made its third release date change, pushing it even further into 2021. While the Bond delay shifted a few titles, four major blockbusters are currently holding firm to their summer release dates: Black Widow, F9, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and the highly anticipated sequel to a Tom Cruise classic, Top Gun: Maverick. According to a new report, these films will not be pursuing a streaming market due to the high profitability of a theater release, and executives at Paramount are feeling especially confident about not having to move the upcoming Cruise film thanks to the incoming Biden administration. Via The Hollywood Reporter:
“We have no plans to move our theatrical release of Top Gun,” says Paramount president of distribution Chris Aronson. “I think the next two months are critical, and whether the new administration can implement a robust vaccination plan. If Biden’s 100 million vaccines in 100 days works, then I think we’ll be in good shape.”
While most studios are feeling confident about the theater industry’s prospects in 2021, Warner Bros. is looking like more of a lone wolf as its held strong to its controversial HBO Max release strategy during a recent earnings call. AT&T CEO John Stankey credited Wonder Woman 1984 with doubling the number of subscribers to HBO Max, and he believes WarnerMedia’s streaming plan is the right decision based on the number of films being crowded into late 2021.
(Via The Hollywood Reporter)
