Film studio Warner Bros. will release all-new films next year on the day they premiere in both the cinema and through its own streaming service. Cinemas fear many losing visitors and are protesting.
Warner’s streaming service, called HBO Max, launched in May as a direct competitor to Netflix. The movies Godzilla vs Kong and Suicide Squad will appear on the platform at the same time as in theatres, the entertainment company announced.
Fight movie Mortal Kombat, a new version of science fiction classic Dune and the fourth part of The Matrix are also launched in this way.
According to WarnerMedia, the company behind the film studio, the step is necessary because of the corona crisis.
The pandemic kept cinemas in America closed and attendance gone, forcing employees to lose their jobs and companies having to borrow money to survive. Warner thinks cinemas in the United States will also be open less frequently by 2021.
Cinemas are vehemently opposed to the plan because they risk losing revenue. The cinemas have long wanted film studios to wait with new films until they can open entirely again. However, film studios do not want to remain with their blockbusters that have been shelved by the pandemic.