Warner Bros Picture Group recently announced that it is making new films available on HBO Max on day one. For consumers who can make use of this, it sounds like a pretty good deal. But naturally, it’s not as great news for the filmmakers. And one big name has shot back, calling it the “worst streaming service” because of the deal.
Director Christopher Nolan is among the prominent figures in the business to call out the HBO Max move. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, he says the decision “makes no economic sense”. He also said that Warner Bros is dismantling “an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere”.
An unnamed talent agent also told the entertainment news outlet “Warners have made a grave mistake”. Which is unsurprisingly what comes to mind with a move like this. After all, making films available on HBO Max on the same day they premiere in cinemas will give moviegoers no reason to actually go to the cinema. And while this may be a move to weather the pandemic storm, there’s a chance that it will not be a temporary measure.
There’s some parallel to be drawn between this HBO Max offering to what Disney did with the Mulan movie. It was made available on Disney Plus, but it initially came with a US$30 premium on top of a subscription. The difference here is that Warner Bros hasn’t said anything about an additional charge on top of the subscription.
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