Wonder Woman 2 Anticipation Thread

[captainkirk]

American movie tickets seem ridiculously expensive. I've never paid more than the equivalent of $6 for a ticket, and that's in 3D. Granted, the projection quality isn't always the best, but the theatrical experience is something that I just don't think can be replicated at home.

 

[DigificWriter]

Shutting down the release pipeline for 2020 would not have killed the film industry because a lot of movie studios ended up doing exactly that and delaying their big releases to 2021 or beyond.

It's the studios that didn't delay their 2020 releases that I take umbrage with and that I think have weakened the industry.

 

[JD]

You probably should have prioritized putting those $400 in savings. Why do you expect others to make the same terrible decisions as you?

I still was putting money in savings, like I said before, the money I spent on the PS4 was saved up over several pay checks. I knew it was coming up, so I was able to start saving several paychecks before hand, and was had enough extra money to get it when I planned to. All I'm saying is, even if you don't have a ton of money, if you are careful it's not that hard to save up for a one time purchase of a few hundred dollars.

It's been pointed out, but 300-400 is still a pretty big chunk of change for a lot of people. But you're right, if you compare a full-scale dinner, sitter (grandparents?), multiple snacks, you're looking at $50-$100. Even at home people have to eat dinner, and you can get McDs whether you're watching a movie at home or going to the theater - likewise a steakhouse. Snacks and drinks during the movie you're definitely at a disadvantage going to the theater but you know, the theaters have to survive and the studios would be happy to take all the money and leave the theaters themselves to rot. But the tickets themselves, which we're comparing to the flatscreen, are still $25 or so. And that's assuming not-matinee or special pricing.

And "a decent-sized flatscreen" is one thing but I thought we were talking about a full home theater system like @Ovation has and @Mage seemed to be implying? That needs a proper projector and screen, full calibrated sound system, seats, plus the physical space to actually watch it in your home so no two-bedroom apartments most likely.

My mom and I only go during matinees, which are $12 each, we get one big $1 refill pop, and bring snacks from outside, so that's still about $25 - $30 dollars a trip, and in the summer we'll sometimes go once a week or every other week.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I guess it depends on circumstances. My ol' hermit self would often go to the early shows and catch a movie for $5/$6 before covid so it wasn't much more than a cheap rental for me. I know going with multiple people at peak time with lot of concessions gets expensive real quick. Even with a nice 55" OLED I'd like to go to the new movies when they came out. Now maybe if I get a 75+" set.......

OTOH, while it's great if you have a family, $30 for some movie you'd like to see at home by yourself is a real drag.

 

[The Wormhole]

I don't buy concessions at the theater. Eating during the movie is a distraction, and drinking soda just means I need to piss halfway through. I gather for a lot of people it's part of the whole "going to the movies" package, but I can easily go without food and drink for a couple of hours and just enjoy the film.

So, movies cost me ticket price and that's it.

Likewise, although I typically pick up fast food at a restaurant near the theatre after the movie, so my theatre runs are basically coming in around thirty dollars. Although I do find when I see movies in the summer I need to buy pop (or soda to you Americans) at the concession stand because the hot weather makes me too damn thirsty. I really don't like doing this, since I have to space my sips out just so in order to get through the movie without needing to get up and take a piss.

I comprehend the need for theaters and other public businesses to adapt to the pandemic, but I think it was a mistake for movie studios to undermine the future viability of the film industry by going to the video-on-demand market as an avenue of release.

Audiences seeing a 'first-release' film in theaters should, IMO, have remained the only option officially pursued by movie studios, even if it meant shutting down the release pipeline entirely until the resolution of the pandemic.

There are very real and practical reasons behind the decision to put so many movies on VOD for first release during the pandemic, particularly in the spring when most of the world was on lockdown. With so many people stuck in their homes all day every day, getting them new forms of entertainment became a priority. Especially people with families, which you'll note almost all the children movies due out during the pandemic have been released to VOD.

If anything, I'd say the only meaningful the pandemic will have on the movie industry is on tentpole films, given in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic they will be the main staple at the theatres given they can't go to VOD if they expect to make back production costs. Which is the reason stated by MGM for why No Time to Die won't be going VOD despite many lucrative offers from many streaming services.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

A deals site I use that has been legit so far just posted a link that it's coming to theaters AND HBO Max on Dec 25. Take it with a grain of salt people, there was a video link to a new trailer but it's already private.
https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1329203405185708032

Don't kill the messenger, I'm sure something is fishy here.

 

[jbny67]

Comicbook.com is also reporting it

https://comicbook.com/dc/news/wonder-woman-1984-christmas-release-hbo-max-theaters/?utm_source=Comicbook.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=201118_184344_Comicbook.com Daily Newsletter&utm_content=Link

 

[StCoop]

DEadline

A deals site I use that has been legit so far just posted a link that it's coming to theaters AND HBO Max on Dec 25. Take it with a grain of salt people, there was a video link to a new trailer but it's already private.
https://twitter.com/Wario64/status/1329203405185708032

Don't kill the messenger, I'm sure something is fishy here.

Confirmed now by The Hollywood Reporter and Variety with official quotes.

 

[kirk55555]

Thats crazy. They must just want to clear out the film backlog, either that or really boost HBO Max numbers.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Here's my wild speculation:

There are obviously two factions inside WB, one in favor of the limited theatrical release on Christmas with an HBO Max release soon after (most likely people responsible for HBO Max, anyway), while the other faction, which includes Patty Jenkins, is in favor of another delay for a proper wide release. The news last week of first on, then another very promising vaccine giving hope for an end of the pandemic and a wide re-opening of theaters in a matter of months probably shifted the power towards the "delay" faction, and somebody inside the "limited release" faction probably had the new trailer prepared to push their chances again. When the trailer went online, higher-ups quickly responded by making it private again until the actual decision is made.


Edit:

Okay, seems the decision is made, and the Christmas release faction won out. Here's the official statement:


“As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” said Ann Sarnoff, Chair and CEO, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures.

“This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the U.S. where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see WONDER WOMAN 1984 via our HBO Max platform."

"We appreciate how patient audiences have been and given the great anticipation around WONDER WOMAN 1984 we are grateful to be able to make this terrifically entertaining movie widely available in these challenging times,” said Toby Emmerich, Chairman, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

I still think this is an insanely bad decision, but it has been made.

 

[StCoop]

When the trailer went online, higher-ups quickly responded by making it private again until the actual decision is made.

Um, it has been made.

“As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures. “This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the U.S. where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform.”

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/wonder-woman-1984-hbo-max-release-1234804411/

 

[JD]

Wow, I didn't not expect them to actually release on HBOMax the same day. I figured they'd wait at least a month or two before it popped up on there.
Even though the theater I go to is open I'll still be opting for the HBOMax option since I'm already a subscriber.

 

[StCoop]

And even with the promising vaccine news it's going to be well into 2021 before things are back to anything normal, so this definitely won't be the last time a release like this happens.

 

[Gaith]

"Wonder Woman (2017) was a hasty rehash of the first Captain America and Thor films, written by four men with a combined fourth-grader's grasp on history, which skirted by on the novelty of a female superhero, Gal Gadot's incredible charisma, and adequate direction from director Patty Jenkins," Snudbert Flunderkip, Vice President of Sales at HBO Max, tweeted Wednesday afternoon. "Now that the novelty factor is gone, our Donald Trump-inspired villain is about to feel dated in the worst way, and Black Widow is poised to dominate the summer of 2021, we look forward to safely disappointing a whole world's worth fans at home, by presenting them this spectacularly okay Christmas Day release."

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Patty Jenkins reaction on Twitter

And a "new" trailer:

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Literally the same trailer, only with the Christmas release date.

 

[JD]

Was it? I thought some of the footage was slightly different.

 

[crookeddy]

And even with the promising vaccine news it's going to be well into 2021 before things are back to anything normal, so this definitely won't be the last time a release like this happens.

Things will never be back to normal.

 

[Kai "the spy"]

Gal Gadot reacted with a tweet with the exact same words as Jenkins'. One may draw their own conclusions from that.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Things will never be back to normal.

Agreed. At best, there will be a new status quo moving forward, but things will never go back to how they were.

 

[Saul]

I was one of those who wasn't blown away by the first movie but i'm disappointed the sequel of such a hit will be released this way. Mostly I feel sorry for the cast and crew who made a blockbuster movie that won't be that.

Things will never be back to normal.

You OK dude?