Did HBO Max Just Destroy the Movie Theater Industry?

Before the rise of the coronavirus, the threat of movie theaters going out of business seemed impossible. Box Office was at an all time high, with “Avengers: Endgame” grossing $2.7 billion, making it the biggest film of all time. Still, when movie theaters seemed very affected by Covid-19, it wasn’t exactly a shock. Theaters were naturally very high risk. Even nine months since the pandemic started, and studios are still getting praised for raking in just three million dollars on opening weekend. But while movie theaters are at an all time low, streaming services are doing better than ever.

Services like Netflix and Hulu have been one of the most influential parts of the last decade. Yet it seems like the newer services such as Disney+ and HBO Max have been the most game-changing. 

On September 4th, the long-awaited live action remake of “Mulan” came out, exclusively on Disney+, but with a catch: On top of the $6.99 a month subscription, you have to pay an additional 30 dollars for “Premiere Access” to watch “Mulan.” Disney-code for “We want to milk you dry.” This reasonably outraged some, and it seems that Disney will be going in different directions in the future. So if that isn’t the solution to new movies at home, what is? 

Our other contender is HBO Max, which launched in late May. It already has an insane 37 million subscriber count, with more on the way due to their recent announcement. 

On December 3rd, Warner Bros. announced that their entire 2021 line up will be released on HBO Max the same day as theaters. That includes “The Matrix 4,” “Dune,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “Mortal Kombat,” and more. The list goes on and on. So while some are risking their lives to see these huge films in theaters, HBO Max subscribers already have their popcorn warm. I know which one I’d choose. 

ALSO READ: ‘How Covid-19 Has Impacted the World Of Cinema‘

So what exactly does this mean for the future of movie theaters, and therefore cinema as a whole? We already knew that “Wonder Woman 1984” would release on HBO Max along with theaters as well, but seeing all the heavy-hitters of 2021 really solidified the meaning: that in a matter of years, movie theaters will cease to exist. Once some of the biggest movies of next year release on HBO Max, millions will be eager to join the new streaming service. Soon Disney+ will want a piece of that pie, doing the same strategy with their huge properties like Marvel or “Star Wars.” 

Andy Samberg stars in “Palm Springs,” which received an exclusive Hulu release earlier this year.

Once other services are catching up to HBO Max, what’s stopping Warner Bros. from pulling their movies from theaters altogether? And soon, other companies will follow suit, crying “You can only get it here.” Suddenly, I’m paying $200 a month watching Marvel movies exclusively on Disney+, Batman movies exclusively on HBO Max, and “Transformers” on the Michael Bay Streaming Service, while AMC and Regal Cinemas are closing their doors. 

Directors also seemed miffed about the latest Warner Bros. move. Christopher Nolan, who famously worked with Warner Bros. on the “Dark Knight” trilogy and “Inception” explains how this can affect creators. “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,” he said to The Hollywood Reporter. And he’s got a huge point. Streaming exclusivity has been around for awhile now, with great TV shows like “Daredevil” just on Netflix and low-budget but hilarious movies like “Palm Springs” on Hulu. 

I don’t know if Warner Bros. will continue to put their movies on HBO Max or not, but pretty much every way you slice it, movie theaters end up short.”

But when huge would-be blockbusters get thrown on a streaming service, the creators are put at risk. Instead of simply having the Box Office from people going to see your movie, it’s by number of streams, which can get vastly more complicated. Not to mention that many films are meant to be seen in theaters, not just on computers or smartphones. Recent movies like “Tenet” or “Avengers: Endgame” wouldn’t be the same on a tiny screen. 

When streaming services first started, many said it would be the death of cable television. Yet it seems that it could actually be the death of movie theaters. I don’t know if Warner Bros. will continue to put their movies on HBO Max or not, but pretty much every way you slice it, movie theaters end up short.