Warner Bros. Discovery Exec Reportedly Wants DC Films Made For Theaters First

More details are coming to light about the future of Warner Bros. Discovery, following the companies’ significant merger earlier this year. In particular, there have been a lot of conversations and reports surrounding the company’s plans for its content, and how that impacts some of the franchises under Warner Bros’ umbrella. We’ve already seen the extent of that means for the DC universe, particularly with news that the studio cancelled its plans to make an HBO Max-exclusive Wonder Twins movie. A new report from The Hollywood Reporter sheds light on that axing, and reveals that new Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is “imposing a mandate that DC movies should now be made with a theatrical-first goal.” A source quoted in the report also claims that “a lot of things that were developed are going to go away.”

The report claims that Zaslav hopes to keep HBO Max-exclusive movies within a budget of $35 million and under, in part because mid-budget exclusive movies attract more subscribers to the service. Meanwhile, movies that debuted in theaters and move to HBO Max with a 45-day window have proven to be a huge draw for attracting subscribers, as recently evident with The Batman.

This casts an interesting shadow over DC’s previously-announced plans for HBO Max, which have largely consisted of television series and a handful of movies. On the movie front, DC’s Blue Beetle movie has already moved from an HBO Max to a theatrical release, with an expected debut date of August 2023. The company’s Batgirl solo movie, which wrapped production earlier this year, has also been rumored to be moving to a theatrical release.

Previously reports had indicated that the company’s Static Shock movie, which has been stuck in the development phase since 2020, could also end up being an HBO Max exclusive. There’s also a Black Canary solo movie spinning out of the events of DC’s previous Birds of Prey film (and maybe also Batgirl), which has been believed to be getting an HBO Max release. If this reporting is any indication of Warner Bros. Discovery’s plans for DC’s future, that means that Static Shock and Black Canary could potentially either end up as theatrical releases, end up on Max with a smaller budget, or ultimately be scrapped.

What do you think will happen to DC’s HBO Max-exclusive movies? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!