In September, Warner Bros. announced the theatrical release of Wonder Woman 1984 was being postponed until Christmas day 2020. While the move marked the third time Wonder Woman 1984 was postponed due to the pandemic, Warner Bros. chair-CEO Anne Sarnoff recently reaffirmed the studio's commitment to releasing the DC film during the holiday season this year.
MGM's decision to postpone the release of No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final James Bond film, until next year left exhibitors with little to no new tentpole movies to screen for the remainder of 2020. As a result, Cineworld Group announced it would temporarily close hundreds of movie theaters in the U.S. and the UK, resulting in thousands of job losses in both locations.
Cineworld CEO Mooky Greidinger noted that the company intends to reopen its venues depending on how the studios plan to release their remaining slate of films and whether or not Wonder Woman 1984 retains its Christmas slot. During an interview at Variety's Power of Women Conversations virtual event, Sarnoff noted that she still hopes Wonder Woman 1984 will make its holiday release. However, the studio will be assessing the situation in the United States before making a final decision. "It really is about how the U.S. continues to open and whether there are any other surges. We've got a little bit of time to figure that out," Sarnoff said.
In late August, Warner Bros. opted to release Christopher Nolan's Tenet internationally before gradually debuting the film in the US where theaters were open. To date, the action-thriller has earned $52.5 million domestically and $289.1 overseas, figures Sarnoff says Warner Bros. is "very pleased" with. However, the domestic gross of Wonder Woman 1984 will be more important to the studio according to Sarnoff, who said, "unlike Christopher Nolan, we'll have more domestic demand, relatively speaking, probably about 50-50. So we have to be more conscious of the total demand in the US as we think about Wonder Woman."
While rumors suggesting Warner Bros. was considering releasing Wonder Woman 1984 on VOD began circulating after the postponement announcement, director Patty Jenkins has insisted no such conversations have taken place. According to Jenkins, the anticipation for the Wonder Woman sequel has the potential to draw enough moviegoers back to theaters and save the struggling industry.
Exhibitors in the state of New York received positive news this month when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced theaters outside of New York City could reopen. Of course, restrictions have been imposed to protect patrons during the pandemic, including a 25% capacity limit or no more than 50 people in each individual screening room.
Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 25th, 2020.
Source: Variety