Tag: Dune

Posted on in Film News

‘Wonka’: Timothee Chalamet Lands The Role of Young Willy Wonka In Paul King’s Prequel Film For Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. has been attempting to remake some of the classic Roald Dahl films as there was new version of The Witches from director Robert Zemeckis released back in 2020 that starred Anne Hathaway and Octivia Spencer. The Witches didn’t make a huge impact as it was strictly released as an HBO Max exclusive and didn’t leave the biggest impression on audiences as it wasn’t able to surpass the quality of the original film from 1990.

The studio is hoping that their Willy Wonka prequel Wonka is going have a different result as they’ve hired Paddington director Paul King to direct and Deadline reports that they’ve added actor Timothee Chalament in that Wonka role. Chalament is leading Legendary’s Dune remake from Denis Villeueuve and plays the role of Paul Atreides, the cosmic messiah of the sci-fi franchise starter. Warner Bros. is still set to distribute Dune in October.

Mr. Wonka is the mysterious inventor and owner of the Wonka candy company known for keeping a low public profile as a way to keep his factory’s secrets. Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp have previously played Willy Wonka on the big screen.

This new film will be a prequel that will focus on Wonka before he creates the world famous chocolate factory. The latest draft of the script was penned by director Paul King and Paddington 2’s Simon Farnaby, the latter screenwriter recently worked on Disney’s new Pinocchio movie that is being helmed by Robert Zemeckis after Paul King exited to focus on Wonka.

Deadline states that Chalamet will get to sing and dance in the new film.

Sources also tell Deadline that Wonka will mark the first time Chalamet gets to show off his singing and dancing skills with several musical numbers set to appear in the film. 

Wonka as we’ve confirmed will primarily shoot at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in Watford, England. The facility is currently being used for The Flash and is expected to be used for Aquaman 2 over the summer.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Posted on in Television News

‘Dune’ Actress Rebecca Ferguson To Star In Sci-Fi Series ‘Wool’ For Apple TV+

Today, it was announced that Apple TV+ and AMC Studios are teaming on a series adaptation of the Hugh Howey sci-fi dystopian trilogy of novels that focuses on a community of survivors living underground in a ruined world, titled Wool, and they have selected British actress Rebecca Ferguson to play the lead role of Juliette with Graham Yost (Band of Brothers) writing and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Games) directing.

Rebecca is best known for her role in the Mission: Impossible franchise and will be next seen in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune remake in the role of Lady Jessica this October. Legendary is already developing a second Dune film to focus on the second half of the first novel and would allow Rebecca to reprise her part in the sci-fi epic. The studio is also working on an HBO Max series Dune: The Sisterhood, but there hasn’t been any word on casting for that series.

Ferguson recently shot Christopher McQuarrie’s Mission: Impossible 7 during the pandemic and is assumed to return for the production of Mission: Impossible 8 later this year.

Some of the other Apple TV+ shows I’m anticipating is the Isaac Asimov adaptation Foundation alongside the WWII series Masters of The Air from producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

Below is the official press release from Apple.

Apple TV+ today announced a series order for “Wool,” a world building drama series based on Hugh Howey’s New York Times bestselling trilogy of dystopian novels that will star Rebecca Ferguson (“Dune,” “Mission: Impossible” films), who will also serve as executive producer. “Wool” will be written by Emmy-nominated screenwriter Graham Yost (“Band of Brothers,” “Justified”) and directed by Academy Award nominee Morten Tyldum (“Defending Jacob,” “The Imitation Game”).

“Wool” is a set in a ruined and toxic future where a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Ferguson will star as ‘Juliette,’ an independent and hardworking engineer.

The series is executive produced by Ferguson, Yost and Tyldum, alongside author Hugh Howey. Remi Aubuchon, Nina Jack and Ingrid Escajeda will also serve as executive producers on the drama, produced by AMC Studios.

SOURCE: APPLE

Posted on in Film News

‘Dune’ Reportedly Releasing Exclusively In Theaters This October – Will Debut At Venice Film Festival

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

Posted on in Film News

Dave Bautista Says Denis Villeneuve Opened A Lot of Doors For Him By Giving Him A Role In ‘Blade Runner 2049’

Dave Bautista has reunited with director Denis Villenueve for Legendary’s Dune remake after working with the Canadian director on the visually stunning Blade Runner 2049. While speaking with Slash Film to promote his Netflix film Army of The Dead, the wrestler-turned-actor is very appreciative of Denis giving him his role in the Blade Runner sequel as it has opened many doors for him.

BAUTISTA: “[Denis Villeneuve], I always say this, and it’s something that’s really hard to convey in words, but how detailed he is in his performance. I wouldn’t have gotten nearly the love that I got from my small part in Blade Runner [2049] if he hadn’t just been all over me as far as performing. Down to the smallest details of how I walked, how I put my glasses on, how I took my glasses off. Just super up-close-and-personal and detailed. I had the most intimate conversations about putting my glasses on. [laughs] The simplest things. But that’s just the kind of director he is, man, he’s just so involved in the performance, which I loved. It was even more so on Dune. I think a lot of that was pressure that I put on myself. Because it felt different to me. Like, now he already has faith in me, he has expectations of me, so now I want to meet those expectations. So I put the pressure on myself so I can deliver for this guy. I love this guy. He’s opened the doors for me with Blade Runner, and I fought for that part, but man, that role opened a lot of doors for me. So anyway, I want to come through. I think you can find that same sentiment with every actor that works with Denis. He’s a special person and a special director, and at the end of the day, you want to hear him come out from behind that monitor and say, ‘I deeply love this.’ That’s when you know Denis is happy.“

Dave is a busy guy with the Guardians of The Galaxy Vol.3 shoot in the United Kingdom taking place at the end of the year. He’s also attached for leading roles in Paul W.S. Anderson’s In The Lost Lands and the sci-fi action film Universe’s Most Wanted.

Zack Snyder’s Army of The Dead releases this month on Netflix and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is coming out on October 1 with a little uncertainly if it’ll stick to a hybrid release, the Legendary website doesn’t mention HBO Max.

ARMY OF THE DEAD – Following a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas, a group of mercenaries take the ultimate gamble, venturing into the quarantine zone to pull off the greatest heist ever attempted.

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.

SOURCE: SLASH FILM

Posted on in Film News

‘Dune’: Dave Bautista Says The World Denis Villeneuve Has Created Is Beautiful & Different – “People Are Going To Be Blown Away”

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune will tell half the story of the first novel written by Frank Herbert and a second film is expected to be made, but likely will depend on how audience react to the upcoming remake after David Lynch’s 1984 version became a historical box office bomb.

Army of The Dead’s Dave Bautista is making the press rounds and spoke to Slash Film about Denis Villeneuve’s vision for Dune as he plays the evil Glossu Rabban, alongside his impressive version for the sci-fi epic (inspired the Star Wars franchise) stating people are going to be “blown away” from they’ve done.

BAUTISTA: “[The] world that he’s created is so far over my head. It’s so beautiful and different, and a lot of times dark and strange. But it’s something I never could have imagined. I just don’t have that mind. When I think about things, and when I think about directing, it’s all very contained, based on simple stories, a lot of times very simple and inspiring stories. And for someone to see something and create a world this big, a galaxy, a universe this big, it’s something that doesn’t comprehend, doesn’t compute in my brain. But it’s weird that he can do both. [Denis Villeneuve] can create these huge epic worlds and scenes, but at the same time just focus on the most simple things about a performance. He’s just a special guy, he’s got a special focus, and man, he’s a brilliant storyteller. Dune is special. I think people are going to be blown away. It’s going to be one of the most beautiful films that people have ever seen. But I think that people who are just diehard fans of Dune, of the novels, they’re going to be blown away. Because they don’t have anything, really, to reference in relation to the books. Now they will. They’ll have that visual reference. He took these characters, he took this world, and he’s taken them off the page and put them on screen. It’s epic.”

The Legendary website states it’s still set for a theatrical roll-out on October 1, 2021, while other Warner Bros. releases are getting hybrid releases on HBO Max. There is already work on the second film and a spinoff series for HBO Max titled Dune: The Sisterhood, Legendary certainly wants to turn Dune into a major franchise.

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.

SOURCE: SLASH FILM

Posted on in Film News

Deal Nearing For ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ With Legendary Poised To Distribute In China – ‘Dune’ May Keep Theatrical Window

A new report from The Hollywood Reporter suggests that WarnerMedia and Warner Bros. Pictures may avoid an incoming lawsuit from production partner Legendary Entertainment as they’re nearing a new distribution deal for Godzilla vs Kong and possibly Dune as well.

Last year, it was announced by WarnerMedia they would be throwing the 17 feature films from their 2021 slate on HBO Max with a day-and-deal model, allowing HBO Max subscribers to view new releases exclusively on the streaming service for a month. This led to backlash as none of the filmmakers, talent or production partners like Legendary were informed about the decision in a timely manner ahead of the public announcement.

Godzilla vs Kong will keep it’s theatrical release on May 21 with Legendary handling the distribution in China, the company has Chinese ownership and makes sense they’d want to tackle the local roll-out. It also seems to be heading to HBO Max.

Legendary is still negotiating with talent on Godzilla but that is not expected to derail a deal. The movie will keep its May 21 release date in theaters, including IMAX, as well as HBO Max. Legendary will release the film in China.

Legendary along with Dune director Denis Villeneuve had voiced their opposition as the studio has reportedly sided with Denis as they rallied against WarnerMedia’s announcement. It’s pointed out the film could end up landing a theatrical window and another hiccup has been revealed as WarnerMedia may have used Dune “images” to promote HBO Max without permission from Legendary.

According to a source, conversations regarding various theatrical windowing approaches are ongoing and it remains unclear which option will be acceptable to Villeneuve. Another potential issue: It appears Warners may have been using Dune images to promote its streaming service without approval.

They also hypothesize that other filmmakers like Matrix 4 director Lana Wachowski could also demand theatrical window, like Villeneuve, that could help dissolve the day-and-date model for bigger films.

If Warners gives Dune an exclusive release, that could set a precedent allowing others, such as Matrix 4 filmmaker Lana Wachowski, to demand similar treatment. As talks continue, it is unclear whether Warner Media will be able to hold the line on its day-and-date strategy to bolster its streaming service. Wachowski is said to be adamant about an exclusive theatrical run.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

‘Dune’ Rumored To Get A Traditional Theatrical Release To Avoid Lawsuit From Legendary

WarnerMedia may end up backing down thanks to the threat of lawsuit from Legendary after it was announced their pricey Dune remake was being thrown on to HBO Max (day-and-date model) without their consent or knowledge. The production company who had spent their own money on 75% of the budgets of both Dune and Godzilla vs Kong were not consulted before their films were added to the domestic streaming service putting their films in direct competition with the theatrical release.

Deadline seemingly has some sort of vague update concerning the fate of Dune, however, the outlet is making sure to use the word “rumors” when stating WarnerMedia may end up keeping the traditional theatrical release. We have to assume this would be a way to avoid further legal issues with Legendary, who certainly have the legal grounds to take them to court.

Battles big and small are being fought on numerous films: Legendary is in a big fight that might result in lawsuits after it financed 75% of tent poles Dune and Godzilla vs. Kong and was completely blindsided. Rumors have the solution to that breach being to preserve Dune as a traditional theatrical to preserve its franchise potential and since its October 1 release date falls well after the estimated late spring date when Covid vaccines should achieve herd immunity. Godzilla vs. Kong might stay an HBO Max hybrid in its May 21 slot, but only if Warner Bros makes a deal with Legendary that uses as a base the $250 million value established when the film was shopped earlier to Netflix. 

Legendary wasn’t the only party upset over the HBO Max announcement, director Denis Villeneuve penned a strongly worded editorial condemning the move. Denis happens to be producing and directing a Dune spinoff series for HBO Max titled Dune: The Sisterhood that would most likely be put into chaos over a falling-out between WarnerMedia and Legendary/Villeneuve.

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

Posted on in Film News

Denis Villeneuve Pens Editorial Criticizing AT&T and WarnerMedia – “Warner Bros. Might Just Have Killed The ‘Dune’ Franchise”

Following some strong worded comments from Warner Bros. darling Christopher Nolan after WarnerMedia announced they would be adding their entire 2021 film slate on HBO Mac with a day-and-date release alongside theaters, a model that is expected to become the new norm at WarnerMedia even post-pandemic.

READ MORE: ‘Dune’, ‘Godzilla vs Kong’, ‘The Suicide Squad’, ‘Mortal Kombat’, ‘Matrix 4’, and Other WB Films Heading To HBO Max

READ MORE: Christopher Nolan Reacts Negatively To News of WarnerMedia Moving Their 2021 Film Slate To HBO Max – Upset They Didn’t Consult With Filmmakers Beforehand

There were even some signs earlier in the week that Legendary Entertainment could end up filing a lawsuit against WarnerMedia for not being consulted prior to the announcement and the industry unions are also displeased which could lead to a boycott of the company.

READ MORE: Legendary May Sue WarnerMedia Over HBO Max Announcement For ‘Godzilla vs Kong’ and ‘Dune’ – Didn’t Give Them Advance Notice

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has chosen to write an opinion editorial on Variety laying out his concerns. I selective some of the key segments which you can read below but I would advise people read the entire opinion piece in full.

Warner Bros.’ sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws a clear line for me. Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of team work and Warner Bros. has declared they are no longer on the same team.

Streaming services are a positive and powerful addition to the movie and TV ecosystems. But I want the audience to understand that streaming alone can’t sustain the film industry as we knew it before COVID. Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of “Dune’s” scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means “Dune” won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the Dune franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T’s John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse.

Public safety comes first. Nobody argues with that. Which is why when it became apparent the winter would bring a second wave of the pandemic, I understood and supported the decision to delay Dune’s opening by almost a year. The plan was that Dune would open in theaters in October 2021, when vaccinations will be advanced and, hopefully, the virus behind us. Science tells us that everything should be back to a new normal next fall.

I’m speaking on my own behalf, though I stand in solidarity with the sixteen other filmmakers who now face the same fate. Please know I am with you and that together we are strong. The artists are the ones who create movies and series. Once the pandemic is over, theaters will be filled again with film lovers. That is my strong belief. Not because the movie industry needs it, but because we humans need cinema, as a collective experience.

Denis is rightfully upset because he’s currently working on a second film titled Dune: Part Two with screenwriter Jon Spaihts covering the second part of the original Dune novel by Frank Herbert and is producing an HBO Max series titled Dune: The Sisterhood that Denis is expected to direct. There are still five original books to adapt into feature films with even more subsequent installments from Frank’s son Brian Herbert and franchise writing partner Kevin J. Anderson.

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 science fiction property was the inspiration for Star Wars as key elements were lifted by George Lucas and if given the right chance could become a global success story after the David Lynch version from 1984 become a famous flop.

SOURCE: VARIETY

Posted on in Television News

‘Buck Rogers’: Legendary Hires Brian K. Vaughn To Write New Series Based On Pulp Sci-Fi Hero

It was announced not too long ago that Legendary Entertainment landed the film and television rights to the classic sci-fi hero Buck Rogers. Now, there is word from The Hollywood Reporter that Legendary has hired comic book and screenwriter Brian K. Vaughn (Lost, Y: The Last Man, Saga) to tackle a new television series.

Brian K. Vaughan, the comics author behind Y: The Last Man and Saga, has been tapped to pen Legendary’s television series adaptation of classic pulp hero Buck Rogers. Don Murphy and Susan Montford, whose credits include TransformersandReal Steel, will produce via their Angry Films banner along with Flint Dille, the grandson of the original Buck Rogers creator.

Rogers first appeared in a story titled Armageddon 2419 and published in a 1928 issue of pulp mainstay, Amazing Stories. Written by Philip Francis Nowlan, the story told of a man who is trapped in a coal mine during a cave-in, falls into suspended animation, and Rip Van Winkle-style, wakes up almost 500 years into the future. There, he is enlisted to help fight a war between several gangs in what was once America.

Where the show will land is up-in-the-air but most recently Dune spinoff series Dune: The Sisterhood is at HBO Max. However, there could be issues with working with WarnerMedia at the moment as Legendary is reportedly on the cusp of suing them over placing Dune and Godzilla vs Kong on HBO Max, something that the production company wasn’t consulted on after WarnerMedia blocked a $250 million offer from Netflix to secure Godzilla vs Kong.

They’re also said to be developing a film and anime series.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Posted on in Film News

Christopher Nolan Reacts Negatively To News of WarnerMedia Moving Their 2021 Film Slate To HBO Max – Upset They Didn’t Consult With Filmmakers Beforehand

The announcement that Warner Bros. slate of films from 2021 heading to HBO Max certainly sounded like a gut punch to U.S theaters but the people who made the films aren’t terribly happy either. It sounds like WarnerMedia and AT&T failed to tell production partners and the filmmakers themselves they were planning on making the move to a day-and-date model. Today, there were reports that director Denis Villeneuve is upset that Dune (part one of at least two planned films) will be negatively impacted by the move and Legendary Entertainment may end up suing WarnerMedia if they can’t work something out.

One of WarnerMedia’s biggest assets also isn’t terribly pleased with how they announced the plan either.

Entertainment Tonight was able to speak with director Christopher Nolan about the whole thing and as you’d imagine he has some stern words for the company calling it a “controversy” along with a suggestion that they’re simply doing this to pump-up the new streaming service while mistreating the people who actually worked on the films without even consulting with them.

NOLAN: “Oh, I mean, disbelief. Especially the way in which they did. There’s such controversy around it, because they didn’t tell anyone. In 2021, they’ve got some of the top filmmakers in the world, they’ve got some of the biggest stars in the world who worked for years in some cases on these projects very close to their hearts that are meant to be big-screen experiences. They’re meant to be out there for the widest possible audiences… And now they’re being used as a loss-leader for the streaming service — for the fledgling streaming service — without any consultation. So, there’s a lot of controversy. It’s very, very, very, very messy. A real bait and switch. Yeah, it’s sort of not how you treat filmmakers and stars and people who, these guys have given a lot for these projects. They deserved to be consulted and spoken to about what was going to happen to their work.”

“Long-term, I think all of the studios know that the movie theater experience will bounce back and be a very important part of the ecosystem long-term. What you have right now in our business is a lot of the use of the pandemic as an excuse for sort of grappling for short-term advantage. And it’s really unfortunate. It’s not the way to do business and it’s not the best thing for the health of our industry. But when the theaters are back and people are going back to the movies, when the vaccine has been rolled out and there’s an appropriate health response from the federal government, I’m very bullish on the long-term prospects of the industry. People love going to the movies and they’re going to get to go again.”

UPDATE: Christopher Nolan had even more choice words when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter.

NOLAN: “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. Warner Bros. had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere, both in theaters and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak. They don’t even understand what they’re losing. Their decision makes no economic sense, and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.”

Nolan isn’t without his own bit of controversy as his latest film Tenet had been released in the height of the pandemic over the summer, where there was plenty of finger-pointing when it came to who had the bright idea to keep the theatrical release date in the summer instead postponing. I don’t think it’s lost on Christopher that Tenet could have easily been part of this group of films thrown on HBO Max without having any real discussions beforehand.

SOURCE: ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT