Warner Bros.’ 2021 Movies Going to HBO Max Has Fans Panicking About the Death of Theaters

Warner Bros. has announced that it is releasing its entire 2021 slate of movies on HBO Max at the […]

December 3, 2020, 4:33pm

Warner Bros. has announced that it is releasing its entire 2021 slate of movies on HBO Max at the same time they will hit theaters. That lineup includes major blockbusters like the Dune reboot, James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Monsterverse event film Godzilla vs. Kong, horror threequel The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and the Mortal Kombat movie reboot. While each of these films is still getting a theatrical release, they will simultaenously be released on HBO Max, giving viewers the opition to view the big new movies at home, at no extra charge other than their usual HBO Max subscription fees.

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Naturally, this is a big shift in the models of how new movies are released. And as you can see below, Warner Bros. decision to move its 2021 movie slate to HBO Max now has fans of cinema seeing nothing but doom for the movie theater industry…

Stock Exchange

HBO Max subscriptions📈📈📈

Movie theater lifespans 📉📉📉
— BD (@BrandonDavisBD) December 3, 2020

ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis has it right. The stock in streaming services just went up in a big way. Doesn’t look so good for movie theaters, by comparison.

We Were In The Endgame

Endgame really was the endgame for movie theaters
— Kevin Thomas (@bouncepasshoops) December 3, 2020

Bet you didn’t think that Avengers: Endgame would truly be the endgame for movie theaters – but here we are.

Not A Good Thing

I don’t know why people are cheering the death of movie theaters. I’ll really miss them, personally. Another communal experience replaced by your couch and a computer screen. I don’t see it as a positive development. https://t.co/bzbcU4I5nZ
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) December 3, 2020

While a lot of people may be celebrating the idea of getting a full slate of big movies streamed to their home in 2021 – let’s remember that for cinephiles, this is in fact akin to doomsday.

Why Are You Laughing

You’re laughing. Movie theaters are dying and you’re laughing? pic.twitter.com/K4uoTWJNAx
— DIGITAL CAMERON POE (@COFFINBORNEGOD) December 3, 2020

Only a big-screen movie meme, from a legendary big-screen actor, could do this sentiment justice. This is no laughing matter for audiences, theater workers, and all jobs the movie theater industry sustains.

Film Twitter’s Nightmare

Film Twitter when they realize the MCU/blockbuster are going to save the future of movie theaters pic.twitter.com/1t2VpPEilY
— ❄️T’Challa Stan❄️ (@KhameekJ03) December 3, 2020

“Film Twitter” is a notoriously haughty crowd of online cinephiles. Can’t imagine how they’re feeling, now that big movies like Marvel’s are going to be the cast cows needed to keep theaters going.

Scorsese’s Plan

Martin Scorsese buying his ticket for Black Widow so he can save movie theaters: pic.twitter.com/FkMvxuq8lp
— ❄️T’Challa Stan❄️ (@KhameekJ03) December 3, 2020

Martin Scorsese got in a lot of “controversy” last year for hinting that Marvel movies were not proper cinema. Now The Irishman director may have to see Black Widow in theaters a few hundred times, just to sustain the industry. Talk about irony.

The Cure

Fuck it, who wants to help me create a vaccine to save movie theaters pic.twitter.com/nnrrtT1cID
— 𝘿𝙧. 𝙎𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙡𝙚 #SaveDaredevil (@Drr_Sizzle) December 3, 2020

COVID-19 isn’t the only thing society needs to be vaccinated against, anymore.