Yesterday, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said that the coronavirus pandemic has the AT&T-owned entertainment company “rethinking our theatrical model,” and cited animated adventure Scoob! skipping theaters and heading straight to VOD as one example of the “new normal.”
This understandably led to speculation that the likes of Wonder Woman 1984 and Tenet might follow suit, but Stankey and Warner Bros. chief Ann Sarnoff have now issued statements clarifying their position and assuring investors that they are still "committed to the cinematic experience."
"We are committed to — and are excited about — releasing Tenet in theaters this summer or whenever theaters reopen. We remain supportive of the theatrical experience and our exhibition partners, and are confident that our tentpole titles, including Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984, are exactly the type of films that will have people eager to return to theaters," said Sarnoff.
"Theatrical films have always been a major part of the our ecosystem," added Stankey. "I fully expect that as we evaluate our business going forward, we will continue to champion creative work that is worthy of the theatrical experience.”
This is good to hear, but that "whenever theaters reopen" part might be very telling. The studio may fully intend to release these movies theatrically at some point, but that doesn't mean we won't see any further delays if COVID-19 doesn't soften its grip on the world fairly soon.
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.