Here’s some good news for the fans of Gal Gadot and DC Comics as Wonder Woman 1984 isn’t skipping US theatres or moving to 2021 but its taking a new alternate course. The highly anticipated film is still opening in US theatres on Christmas Day but it will also be made available to HBO Max subscribers free of charge for its first month, announced Warner Bros. The film will debut in international theatres on December 16.
Gal took to Instagram to make the announcement about the dual release. Sharing a new still from the film, she wrote, “IT’S TIME. We’ve all waited a long time for this one to come. I can’t tell you how excited I am for all of you to see this movie. It wasn’t an easy decision and we never thought we’d have to hold onto the release for such a long time but COVID rocked all of our worlds. We feel the movie has never been so relevant and we hope that it’ll bring some joy, hope and love to your hearts. Wonder Woman 1984 is a special one for me and I can only hope it’ll be as special to you too. We’ve put our hearts and souls into it. So.. you can watch it IN THEATERS (they’re doing an amazing job keeping it safe) and you can also watch it on HBOMAX from your homes. Sending you my love. Please keep safe and wear a mask. Happy holidays to all of us! Let the light shine in.”
Ann Sarnoff, Chairperson and CEO of Warner Media Studion and Networks Group said in a statement, “As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans.” After the first month for free on HBO Max, Wonder Woman 1984 will play in theatres for additional few weeks before being made available for rental on demand.
Wonder Woman 1984 is a major tentpole for Warner Bros. The first film Wonder Woman released in 2017 made over $821 million globally. It was also the first film by a woman director to garner such a huge collection. Wonder Woman 1984 has brought director Patty Jenkins back at the helm with Gal in the lead role, along with Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig and Pedro Pascal. Jenkins took to Twitter to write about the dual release decision. She wrote, “At some point you have to choose to share any love and joy you have to give, over everything else. We love our movie as we love our fans, so we truly hope that our film brings a little bit of joy and reprieve to you all this holiday season.”
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) November 18, 2020
She also lauded Gal's performance and hard work in the film and showered praises on her in a tweet.
I can't wait for the world to see this amazing woman on the screen. She'll blow your mind and warm your heart. @GalGadot killed it in this film, and she does all that great and hard work for only the most honorable reasons. She is a true #Wonderwoman so I hope you enjoy #WW84 https://t.co/Q7fYuNAEab
— Patty Jenkins (@PattyJenks) November 19, 2020
It is an unprecedented strategy for a film of this size, but it’s an indication of what innovative and extraordinary measures the studios have had to resort in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Major films have either delayed their shooting schedules, postponed their release to 2021 or sent them directly to streaming platform like Disney’s live-action film Mulan.
(Source: Instagram/Twitter/Indian Express)