Warner Bros. Releasing Entire 2021 Film Slate on HBO Max

EVP of Content Acquisitions for TNT, TBS, truTV, HBO & HBO MAX Michael Quigley, from left, Chief Content Officer, HBO MAX and President, TNT,TBS, & truTV Kevin Reilly and Head of Original Content , HBO MAX Sarah Aubrey appear at the HBO Max Executive Sessions panel during the HBO TCA 2020 Winter Press Tour at the Langham Huntington on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2020, in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)

In a year when movie theaters have been hit with the aftermath of COVID-related closures, Warner Bros. Pictures has decided to make a bold move.

Variety reports that the company will be releasing all of their 2021 films both in theaters and on HBO Max. The releases will follow the same format as the release of the long- awaited DC Comics flick Wonder Woman 1984, which will be released on Christmas. The films will be on HBO Max for 31 days, then moved to strictly theatrical viewing until the end of the normal time frame for home distribution.

Among the films that will be released next year are:

The highly anticipated fourth installment of The Matrix
LeBron James/Looney Tunes mashup Space Jam: A New Legacy
DC Comics’ The Suicide Squad
The Many Saints of Newark, a prequel to HBO’s The Sopranos
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s film adaptation of the musical In The Heights
Judas and The Black Messiah, a biopic on famed Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton

In announcing the news, WarnerMedia chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said in a statement:

“We’re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group. No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.

With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or aren’t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films,” she continued. “We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we’re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.”