Warner Bros. Worried ‘Wonder Woman 1984’ Would ‘Get Stale’ If Pushed To 2021

The studio was worried the sequel's impact wouldn't be as powerful if it released four years after the first film.

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Warner Bros. were reportedly worried that Wonder Woman 1984 will “get stale” if it got delayed once again into 2021.

Wonder Woman 1984 hasn’t had the best luck over the past few years, as it was originally intended to release in 2019 before being pushed into 2020 where it has since been plagued by delays due to the ongoing pandemic. But according to a report from Variety, the studio was apparently concerned that if it was pushed again into 2021 (nearly four years after the first film’s debut in 2017) the sequel would “get stale”. It seems that the decision to pair the Wonder Woman sequel’s theatrical release on December 25 with a digital debut on HBO Max was a last minute decision from Warner Bros.

Rich Greenfield, an analyst at LightShed Partners spoke with Variety about Warner Bros. releasing Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max, explaining that it’s also a strategic move to persuade audiences to use the new streaming service. Aside from fans waiting for DC releases like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Peacemaker and Titans, it seems regular audiences aren’t even aware of the service. Hopefully the Wonder Woman sequel manages to capture the hopeful spirit of the first film and provide some excellent entertainment over the holidays. Take a look at Greenfield’s statement from the Variety report below.

“They’re going to make less money for the greater good of building HBO Max.This is putting the long-term future of the company ahead of profits. [The release is] far less about driving new subscribers as it is getting people to know HBO Max exists. They have people who pay for HBO Max and don’t use it. The whole initiative is getting people over to Max.”

What do you make of the Wonder Woman 1984 release situation? are you excited to see the film on HBO Max or will you seek it out in theaters? Sound-off in the comments below!

Full details on the Wonder Woman 1984 plot are being kept under wraps, but the film is said to follow Gal Gadot’s Diana Prince as she comes into conflict with a formidable new adversary named Cheetah and businessman Maxwell Lord. Wonder Woman was last seen in Zack Snyder’s DC superhero team-up movie Justice League.

Directed by Patty Jenkins from a script she co-wrote with David Callaham and a treatment she developed with Geoff Johns, the film stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Natasha Rothwell, Ravi Patel, Gabriella Wilde, Connie Nielson, and Robin Wright.

Wonder Woman 1984 is scheduled to be released on December 25, 2020. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the DC Extended Universe and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more exclusive video content.

Source: Variety

Eammon Jacobs

Eammon Jacobs

British dork who can be found online raving about how good Tron: Legacy is.