If you were holding out hope that Wonder Woman 1984 would be the next big blockbuster to chance its arm with a cinema-only release, prepare to let that thought go. In the United States, the movie will land in whatever screens are open on 25 December, and stream on HBO Max the same day.
Patty Jenkins' follow-up to the 2017 original, which made more than $820 million worldwide at the box office, has been delayed several times from its original June date. But it had been seen as one of the big possibilities to hold on to a cinema-only release, especially since all concerned had pressed that point home. Now, though? Warner Bros. is hedging its bets with the simultaneous streaming release on HBO Max, where it will be available at no extra cost for one month before heading to more traditional digital avenues. Wonder Woman 1984 finds Gal Gadot's Diana Prince in the big-hair era, taking on villainous threats from Kristen Wiig's Cheetah and Pedro Pascal's Max Lord.
Internationally, the film will still premiere in cinemas where they are open, which likely includes the UK, depending on the country's Covid status after the current lockdown. Currently, it is set for release one week earlier – on 16 December – but if the cinema situation changes, it could share that with an online strategy along the lines of The Witches.
"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," says WarnerMedia CEO Ann Sarnoff in a statement. "This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the US where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform." The latest trailer is below.