HBO Max at this time isn't at the same level as Netflix, the streaming giant popular around the world.
But it's trying to keep up by announcing that is going to stream Wonder Woman 1984 with 4K resolution at the same day film premieres in select theaters.
With Wonder Woman 1984, the American subscription video and on-demand streaming service expects to “expand these capabilities to further films and TV series, as well as adding support for additional devices, throughout 2021.
And one of the idea here, is to appeal production and entertainment companies.
One that is interested, is Warner Bros.
The company that is known for its New Line Cinema, DC Films and more, has announced its plans to release a selection of its 2021 movies in theaters and on HBO Max at the same time.
This should excite many viewers and moviegoers from the general public, as it allows them to see new Warner Bros. movie titles in the global 'COVID-19' coronavirus pandemic as soon as they come out, right at the comfort of their homes, without having to worry about catching or spreading the virus.
But for some people who work in the movie industry, the decision isn't appealing them.
One of the most notable, is Christopher Nolan, the movie director behind huge titles like Memento, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and the more recent Tenet.
Nolan is known as the very few champions in Hollywood for blockbusting theatrical releases. The writer-director has long been a vocal proponent of seeing his films on the biggest screen possible, and will put his money and prestige to defend them.
Nolan announced his disappointment and his "disbelief" following Warner Bros. not telling anyone that it was doing this beforehand.
To ET Online, the famous director said that everyone who made these movies is now “being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service” without being consulted, making things “very, very, very, very messy.”
He suggests that it might not be a huge deal in the long-run, though, as he’s “very bullish” on the theater industry’s ability to eventually bounce back. “People love going to the movies and they’re going to get to go again,” he notes.
His most recent release, Tenet, was one of the very few films released in theaters this summer of 2020 amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Nolan defended the film, despite tricky rollout that involved numerous delays, much-deliberated box office numbers and the public's questions about the future of the movie industry.
"There's such controversy around it, because they didn't tell anyone. In 2021, they've got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they've got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences. They're meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences... And now they're being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service -- for the fledgling streaming service -- without any consultation."
"Long-term, I think all of the studios know that the movie theater experience will bounce back and be a very important part of the ecosystem long-term. What you have right now in our business is a lot of the use of the pandemic as an excuse for sort of grappling for short-term advantage. And it's really unfortunate. It's not the way to do business and it's not the best thing for the health of our industry."
Following his statement, Nolan released another, saying that “some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio,” but then the next day, “woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service.”
He continued by saying that Warner Bros. is “dismantling” an “incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere,” and “they don’t even understand what they’re losing,” adding that it “makes no economic sense.”
On the other side of the ring, Legendary Entertainment, the studio behind Warner Bros.’s Dune and Godzilla Vs. Kong, is reportedly going to defend their titles to be on this HBO Max distribution scheme.
The internet, most notably people on Twitter, took this moment to mock Christopher Nolan for his stance.