The major difference between Netflix and AppleTV+ and the majority of other combatants in the streaming wars including HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney Plus and Peacock, is that the first two platforms are largely unconcerned with the theatrical side of the business.
Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal and Disney, along with subsidiaries Marvel Studios and Pixar, rely on box office dollars to generate the maximum amount of profits, whereas it isn’t a key part of either Netflix or Apple’s strategy, meaning the streamers can debut as many original films as possible without a care in the world.
This year’s HBO Max experiment has proven contentious to say the least, but it ends on December 31. The Hollywood Reporter has dived deep into the pros and cons of the studio’s hybrid model, and buried in the report is the news that in the future, WB are looking for a 50/50 split that would see a dozen movies playing exclusively in theaters, with another twelve premiering on streaming.
There are already plenty of HBO Max-only titles in development including Batgirl, Black Canary, Evil Dead Rise, Blue Beetle, The Father of the Bride, Moonshot, KIMI and more, but we can expect that number to increase dramatically as WarnerMedia begins to separate its slate into titles worthy of a big screen release, and those that are much better suited to home viewing.
