Gal Gadot's superhero movie Wonder Woman 1984 will be the first major Hollywood movie that will debut simultaneously in the U.S. theatres and on HBO Max's streaming service starting on Christmas Day.
The unusual release plan has come into action by Warner Bros. after the new wave of Coronavirus hits the United States.
"We realize that a lot of consumers can't go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see 'Wonder Woman 1984' via our HBO Max platform," said Ann Sarnoff, chief executive officer of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, via Washington Post.
The most-awaited superhero movie will premiere in the United States and HBO Max on December 25, nine days after it starts screening at cinemas in international markets. Warner Bros. has also stated that the HBO Max subscribers will have a month to see Wonder Woman 1984 at no additional cost.
Wonder Woman 1984 director, Pay Jenkins, has also tweeted that the fans of DC Extended Universe should see the movie in theatres if it safe around them -- otherwise, they should stream the movie right from the comfort of their homes.
Coronavirus effect on Hollywood:
As we earlier reported, several big-budget movies were hit hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The release date of major Hollywood movies like Mulan, Top Gun 2, the latest James Bond movie, and others was pushed back due to the pandemic.
New WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar wrote in a blog post that they are looking to accelerate the online platform's subscriber growth. "We certainly anticipate that a portion of fans will choose to enjoy 'Wonder Woman 1984' that way on opening day and beyond."
Wonder Woman 1984 details:
The forthcoming Wonder Woman 1984 movie will feature Gal Gadot as Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman, alongside Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, and Robin Wright.
As per the earlier released trailer, the movie is set during the Cold War of 1984 and will show Diana's journey as she comes face-to-face with Maxwell Lord and friend-turned-enemy Barbara Ann Minerva while reuniting with her love interest Steve Trevor.
Fans of Wonder Woman will also see her in the upcoming Zack Snyder's Justice League miniseries.