WarnerMedia boss calls filmmaker backlash to HBO Max plan “painful”

Warner Bros. is now releasing movies on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time. It could be good for fans, but filmmakers be not pleased.

A little over a week ago, Warner Bros. made a seismic announcement: to help keep people safe during the pandemic (or at least that was the stated reason), the studio would be releasing all 17 of the movies it had on the docket for 2021 on HBO Max at the same time as they were released in movie theaters.

What’s more, they made this announcement without telling many of the filmmakers behind those movies, which left a lot of them hopping mad. “Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” said Tenet director Christopher Nolan. “With HBO Max’s launch a failure thus far, AT&T decided to sacrifice Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate in a desperate attempt to grab the audience’s attention,” wrote Dune director Denis Villenueve. Ouch.

The feedback hasn’t been great, with stars like Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin supporting the directors in their outrage. And also maybe Timothée Chalamet supported Villeneuve by wearing a Legendary hoodie (Legendary is the studio behind Dune) during his hosting gig on Saturday Night Live? That one’s unclear. Speaking to The New York Times, WarnerMedia chief Jason Kilar described the backlash as “painful,” and I can’t help but think it might eventually get to “unprofitable” if the filmmakers decide not to work with the studio anymore. “We clearly have more work to do as we navigate this pandemic and the future alongside them.”

Kilar admitted that they should have been “more sensitive” to how actors and directors were going to take the news. “A very important point to make — something I should have made a central part of our original communication — is we are thoughtfully approaching the economics of this situation with a guiding principle of generosity.” At the same time, he didn’t back off the decision itself.

"There is no situation where everyone is going to stand up and applaud. That’s not the way innovation plays out. This is not easy, nor is it intended to be easy. When you are trying something new, you have to expect and be ready for some people who are not comfortable with change. That’s OK."

Kilar also stood by the decision not to consult all the stakeholders before making the new move. “There are some things that you can talk and talk and talk about, but it doesn’t necessarily change the outcome,” he said. “I don’t think this would have been possible if we had taken months and months with conversations with every constituent. At a certain point you do need to lead. And lead with the customer top of mind and make decisions on their behalf.”

It’s too early to tell whether the directors objecting to this new plan are just getting their feelings out before moving on with their lives or if this actually does spell doom for Warner Bros. as a studio. Or maybe the move will inspire companies like Disney to follow suit and start releasing more movies directly to Disney+? 2021 should be interesting.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t IndieWire