Patty Jenkins, the director of the upcoming Wonder Woman 1984, has spoken out about the Gal Gadot-fronted movie’s controversial release plan. Along with the rest of Warner Bros. upcoming features, it will have a hybrid release, debuting both in cinemas and on streaming in the US.
“If you had told me a year ago that we would ever go straight to streaming in any way, shape or form, I would have flipped out. Like, I’m not for that plan in general, you know, I’m very pro theatrical release and I will be that again, as soon as this is over,” Jenkins told SiriusXm.
“However, this is such a crazy year,” she added. “It’s such a crazy year. It’s like all of us are trying to figure out with our lives, how to do everything the best we can. And so I kept saying there is no good option. Like when we would talk about it, there was no good option. Wait until when? And then every movie in the world tries to come out at the same time. And you know, there was no good option.”
Jenkins has been consistent in voicing her support for a cinema release. “Direct to streaming is not even being discussed,” she tweeted in October when direct-to-streaming rumours first arose. “We are still 100% behind the theatrical experience for #WW84 and supporting our beloved theatre business.”
The movie has had a rocky road to release, with a series of delays and now the HBO Max-shaped spanner in the works. It seems like it will be worth the wait, though – the first reactions are in and they’re largely positive, with one critic calling the movie a “sorely needed beacon of hope” in 2020.
Wonder Woman 1984 is out on HBO Max and in cinemas on Christmas Day in the US, with an earlier theatrical release date of December 16 in the UK. Not long to wait – in the meantime, here’s how to watch the DC movies in order if you want to refresh your memory on what’s happened so far.
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