Not only have Warner Bros. potentially changed the face of cinema as we know it following the decision to release their entire 2021 slate of movies on HBO Max the same day that they arrive in theaters, but the studio may have also opened up a can of legal and contractual worms that could ultimately land them in hot water.
Legendary Pictures are already considering action after being cut out of the loop in regards to Godzilla vs. Kong and Dune, with the production company stumping up a reported 75% of the budget for each blockbuster – a figure that would comfortably approach the $300 million mark – only to be blocked from selling the MonsterVerse sequel to Netflix in an effort to recoup costs before WB sent it to their own streaming service instead.
The latest furor involves the talent attached to the 2021 movies themselves, many of whom signed contracts that include profit-related bonuses that they’ll never see now that box office takings are going to be severely impacted. According to a recent report, The Suicide Squad director James Gunn is just one of many people unhappy about the potential financial hit he’ll personally be taking, with THR explaining the following:
“WarnerMedia had to shovel tens of millions at Gal Gadot and the other key players because the company wants a third in the series. But that sets the bar high. Sources say even Suicide Squad director James Gunn, who is platform-agnostic, was not pleased when the studio followed its shocking announcement by floating a lackluster formula for compensating him and other profit participants in the film.”
Of course, another issue stems from the fact that Warner Bros. spoke to star Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins before the Wonder Woman 1984 announcement was made public, while the rest of the studio’s contracted actors and filmmakers were kept completely in the dark. The HBO Max strategy has already generated heated discussions across the length and breadth of the movie business, and there’s no doubt going to be a lot more backlash to come as the creative teams behind some of the biggest titles of 2021, not just The Suicide Squad, find themselves left out of the decision making process surrounding projects that they poured their hearts and souls into.
