With Discovery and WarnerMedia’s new merger news it seems like the future of the day-and-date model is seemingly already eroding. There had been an announcement back in December that WarnerMedia would be releasing their 2021 slate in theaters and HBO Max (for a month) on the same day. This model was used for most of their films already and is expected to be used on other upcoming releases, excluding one.
Deadline is echoing previous talk that Dune would avoid the HBO Max day-and-date model and debut at the Venice Film Festival in September before it’s domestic release on October 1, heading to HBO Max on a later date.
Deadline hears that Dune, the high-profile Denis Villeneuve sci-fi remake out this fall, will not adhere to the day-and-date release pattern established for the entire 2021 slate. Instead, it will premiere in Venice in September and then enter theaters for a time before finding its way to streaming service HBO Max.
WarnerMedia seems to be refuting the report as seen with the Twitter below, causing further confusion.
It’s worth noting that the official Legendary website only lists a theatrical release for Dune in October and zero mention of HBO Max.
Legendary wasn’t notified about the day-and-date before AT&T/WarnerMedia decided to throw Godzilla Vs. Kong and Dune into that mix. There had been reports that Legendary was ready to bring a lawsuit against the distributor after they squashed a $200 million offer from Netflix for Godzilla Vs. Kong and then turned around to dump the film on streaming without a premium fee. The movies released on HBO Max does not require anything but a subscription to the service which doesn’t exactly bring any real revenue to Warner Bros. Pictures, but luckily Godzilla Vs. Kong had a great box office run when other films have been struggling before and after its’ release.
DUNE – A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, DUNE tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
The film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep,” “Mission: Impossible – Fallout”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Avengers: Endgame”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Dark Knight”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Netflix’s “Sex Education”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman,” HBO’s “Game of Thrones”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).
SOURCE: DEADLINE
THE RONIN 