WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar On How Groundbreaking HBO Max Theatrical Window Strategy Will Optimize Revenues

When the news that HBO Max was going to be the day-and-date home for all of Warner Bros.’ major 2021 releases, including the highly-anticipated “Dune,” the industry was shaken. And it didn’t take long at all for Legendary, the co-financiers and co-producers of “Dune,” to come forward with a legal challenge.

Over the past couple of weeks, since the announcement that WarnerMedia is releasing all of the 2021 WB films on HBO Max the same day as in theaters, it appears that almost every filmmaker that has publicly spoken about the move has disagreed with the idea of collapsing the theatrical window. And those that understand the decision are still upset that WarnerMedia didn’t warn filmmakers before the announcement.

Steven Soderbergh has been a filmmaker that has consistently pushed the boundaries of whatever medium he’s working in. On the small screen, he’s pushed the limits of TV and on streaming platforms with projects like “Wireless” and “Mosaic.” In film, he’s tested new ways of filming things (with smaller cameras and even smartphones), as well as marketing films (taking on the role of de facto marketer for “Logan Lucky,” for example.

HBO Max has announced that the dating reality series 12 Dates of Christmas, which was created by the team behind Love Is Blind, will be coming back for a second season!

Chappelle’s Show will be removed by HBO Max by the end of 2020, honouring a request by Dave Chappelle.The news was confirmed by HBO and HBO Max chief content officer Casey Bloys, in conversation with Variety.“We had a conversation with Dave,” Bloys began.

Jason Kilar To make sense of all that has transpired in 2020 and what it portends for the media and entertainment sectors going forward, Variety spoke with a cross section of industry leaders about the broad theme of change. For more, click here.The pandemic is absolutely accelerating change because consumers are changing.In the case of WarnerMedia, this means that we need to talk about the fan.

‘It stopped being a party a long time ago,” is the new tagline for season four of HBO Max‘s “Search Party” and ain’t that the truth. Originally on TBS, “Search Party” was seemingly a fun, amusing, hip, funny show about millennials and millennial angst.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterCasey Bloys is exploring a whole new range of programming options as he takes the creative reins at HBO Max.Bloys has been at the helm of HBO programming for a few years now, but was promoted to chief content officer of HBO and HBO Max back in August.

Zack Snyder’s upcoming new cut of Justice League has changed so much, he believes the four-hour opus will be rated R.

Warner Bros. is doing a minor massage to its release schedule for 2021. New Line’s Mortal Kombat, which I hear isn’t finished, is going on April 16, 2021 instead of Jan. 15. The Simon McQuiod directed feature adaptation of the videogame will have access to Imax screens.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterChris Messina is set for a lead role in the upcoming HBO Max pilot “Verbatim,” Variety has learned.The project is based on Brett Weiner’s New York Times Op Docs Series that screened at Sundance in 2014 and 2016.

Imax CEO Rich Gelfond doesn’t see the Warner Bros.-induced sound and fury in Hollywood subsiding anytime soon as talent joins theaters to protest the studio’s 2021 theatrical windows – nor does he think Warner will stick it out for a full year.

Filmmakers have made their thoughts known. Theater chains have blasted the idea, already.

AMC Theatres was already hurting before WarnerMedia made its announcement that it was sending WB’s entire 2021 film slate to HBO Max on the same day as theaters. And now, after that decision? Let’s just say AMC is none too pleased with the idea that one of the biggest studios in the world is threatening the future of the theatrical experience.

EXCLUSIVE: CAA is the latest to blast WarnerMedia on its decision to place its entire 17-film slate on HBO Max at the same time the films are released in U.S. theaters in 2021.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorIt’s an enormous bet that threatens to alienate Hollywood’s A-list, and it may well make or break HBO Max in the coming year.

When it was announced that WarnerMedia was going to release every Warner Bros. 2021 film on HBO Max the same day as in theaters, the reactions were immediate and passionate.

William Earl administratorWarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar will keynote Variety’s Dealmakers Elite virtual event on Thursday, December 10.

Todd Spangler NY Digital EditorAT&T CEO John Stankey asserted that the release of Warner Bros.’s full 2021 movie slate on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time will be a “win-win-win” — for WarnerMedia, consumers and partners.Stankey acknowledged criticism that AT&T and WarnerMedia have faced from theater owners: “I know there’s a lot of noise out in the market, people with different viewpoints.” He added, “Anytime you’re going to change a model, it’s going to create a degree of noise.”But

Also Read: Warner Bros to Release All 2021 Movies in Theaters and on HBO Max SimultaneouslyOn Thursday, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar announced the decision to put all ’21 WB movies on HBO Max on their theatrical release date.