As movie theaters continue to suffer, studios are taking streaming more seriously. As new confirmed cases of COVID-19 see a resurgence, 700 movie theaters in North America were forced to reclose in the “most dramatic” round of shut downs. In the midst of the unstable cinema environment, WarnerMedia announced that it will be releasing the anticipated Wonder Woman 1984 in both theaters and on streaming platform HBO Max simultaneously—one of the “most prominent” blockbusters to do so. According to the company’s CEO, a film’s success can no longer “be judged solely by the box office revenue it generates in theaters” and is becoming clear that streaming is “the new priority” for studios. (NYTimes, THR)
