A lot of people were understandably upset when Warner Bros announced that all of its 2021 film slate would premiere both in theaters and on HBO Max. It felt like a huge blow to the ailing theater industry. That’s because it is a huge blow. No matter how you slice it WB’s plan is bad news for cineplexes.
But that doesn’t mean they are completely shifting to that strategy forever. A new piece from the New York Times talks about Warner’s DC Films and their approach to movies in the coming years.
The main points are these: DC Films is looking to release a lot more superhero films in the future. A lot more. The more expensive DC properties (think Wonder Woman, Aquaman or The Flash) will be designed for the big screen while other heroes (what the Times calls “riskier characters” like Batgirl and Static Shock) will see their films debut on HBO Max. The plan is for DC to release four of those larger theatrically movies annually and two of the HBO Max exclusives every year. That means we could be getting six DC movies a year. Wow, we have come a long way from the days of Jonah Hex, haven’t we?
This is good news for those who feared that WB and DC Films were planning a post-theater experience. They are still supporting going to the movies and that is undeniably a good thing. However, they are really putting a lot of eggs in the HBO Max basket. Will it pay off? Time will tell.
There is more in the New York Times piece, specifically about the storytelling angle DC Films is taking. They are fully embracing the multiverse idea and are laying the groundwork for multiple parallel universes throughout their cinematic properties. We knew that was coming and DC has made no secret about it. Their casting of Michael Keaton and Ben Affleck as Bruce Waynes in The Flash just confirmed that they are finally capitalizing on the popular comic book storytelling device that has been used for decades. Smart move, DC. Your films have been a mess for far too long but you have always known how to do comics well.
I find it funny and ironic that right as DC Films is finally figuring itself out, Marvel is taking a page from their book and creating their own cinematic multiverse, as evidenced by the casting bonanza they have undertaken with their latest Spider-Man film. How pissed is DC going to be when Marvel’s multiverse is way more successful than their own? That is going to sting.