Wonder Woman 1984 Delayed Until Christmas (Update)

Warner Bros. is delaying Wonder Woman 1984 from theatrical release yet again, according to sources speaking to WSJ. The report notes that Wonder Woman 1984 does not have a new release date to replace the October 2nd date that WB is now vacating; the report just notes that the delay will be until “a date later in the year.” This news comes right on the heels of a previous report stating that Wonder Woman 2 was likely getting another release delay – it’s third, after being moved from June 2020 to August, and then October.

Update: Variety’s followup report states that Wonder Woman 1984 will now open on Christmas Day, December 25th. It also includes a statement from WB Motion Picture Group chairman Toby Emmerich, which reads:

“Patty is an exceptional filmmaker and with Wonder Woman 1984 she has delivered an incredibly dynamic film that moviegoers of all ages around the world will absolutely love. We’re very proud of the film and look forward to bringing it to audiences for the holidays.”

The move comes as many industry analysts have been watching the box office performance of Warner Bros. current big theatrical release, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet. Tenet has been the proverbial “Canary in the Coal Mine” – the first big international theatrical release since the coronavirus pandemic brought Hollywood and cinemas to a grinding halt. The industry has struggled to get re-galvanized after months of theater shutdowns, layoffs, and the entire theatrical system threatening to buckle. After eight days in theaters, Tenet has made $20 million domestically and $132 million internationally, for a two-week total of $152M. There are so many circumstantial factors at play in both that box office total, and the perception of Tenet as a success or failure; however, Warner Bros. now pulling Wonder Woman 1984 from October release suggests that the studio may not be happy with how Tenet fared in an uncertain marketplace. The decision to move Wonder Woman 1984 to Christmas may be good hedging of bets; it’s far enough removed from the predicted next big wave of flu/COVID-19 infections expected in early October, yet arriving at a time when the holiday season and year’s end may have people much more motivated to get back to some kind of normalcy with their leisure time.

Here’s Wonder Woman 1984’s synopsis: “In 1984, during the Cold War, Diana comes into conflict with two formidable foes—media businessman Maxwell Lord and friend-turned-enemy Barbara Minerva / Cheetah, while reuniting with her love interest Steve Trevor.”

Wonder Woman 1984 will be released in theaters(?) on December 25th.