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Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 1:00AM 
• THR Malcolm & Marie, that COVID-filmed two-hander with John David Washington and Zendaya, is now joining Netflix's stable of current Oscar contenders with a February release; as if they didn't have enough already!
• Deadline Spike Lee keeps us guessing. He's doing a Viagra musical next. WTF?
• The Verge Wonder Woman 1984 is now going direct to streaming on Christmas day (the same day it opens in theaters). It'll be on HBOMax at no additional cost for one month after which it will only be in theaters. We haven't believed the worst premonitions about the future of movie theaters up till now. But if the big studios are now willing to give up their surest billion dollar theatrical titles to streaming (where those same titles can't earn them any additional revenue other then arguably more subscribers -- but how many are required to make those regular $200 million budgets for superflicks affordable? -- then all bets are off. *cries hysterically*
Reader Comments (14)
The question was never whether these Oscars will happen (they will), but rather whether these will be the LAST Oscars (depends on what COVID does to the human race overall).
In Europe there is no HBOMAX. The disrespect WB is showing to international viewers is absolutely shocking.
Every new Netflix title added to the race is good news for Nomadland.
I still haven't seen the first Wonder Woman.
The vaccine is coming and then the world will go back to normal. Right?
I hate the world we live in for so many reasons now. Sigh.
If after COVID movie theater attendance does not improve, I expect movie studios will stop making big blockbuster films for their cost. We might see a big shift in budgets (substantial reduction) and an increase in series (what Disney is doing with Marvel) .
I don't know what the future holds for movie theaters (no one does), but I appreciate the studio's move on WW84. Maybe it will cause more people to stay home and thus save some lives. We're so close to a vaccine, people need to take precautions seriously until we're immune.
I've seen some speculation that Spike Lee is just threatening to make the Viagra musical in order to get Netflix to promote Da Five Bloods (and especially Delroy Lindo) more, which I don't quite get. But I'm totally on board with Spike Lee making a musical, even if it is about Viagra!
Some movies are meant to be seeing on the BIG SCREEN.
Nathaniel- any plans for a Yes No Maybe for the Let Them All Talk trailer?
Wonder Woman is gonna look like crap on your tiny little tv. Most the people I know don’t even own a TV, they just watch everything on their laptops which is more depressing.
All movies are better on the big screen.
They're only putting out WW84 on streaming in the U.S. so it's really only about half of their potential revenue that they're leaving on the table. Also, HBO Max has had a uniquely rocky launch so it's more likely to need a boost from a stunt like this at this particular moment than most other streaming services would. So I wouldn't necessarily see this as a sign of doom quite yet. In the grand scheme of things they are delaying more blockbusters than they are burning them on streaming.
For all we know WW84 could be mediocre and WB know what they have. Trailers have been pretty full of cheese.
As for Netflix, seems they're overplaying their hand. Too many films in the race could backfire.
sati -- are theaters open where you live? I think this is actually a big part of the decision making behind Disney using Disney + and now Warners using HBO max -- having products for international markets.It is not reasonable to hold ALL of their tentpoles to future years and give up on the international holidays market. I hopefully will be watching Soul in a movie theater this Christmas (living in Hong Kong) and I am thankful that Disney is not delaying it further. So in many ways, this is respect to international audience, and not disrespect.
I think Zendaya can do some major damage in the Best Actress race. Netflix would have delayed this to the 2021 race otherwise. They have so many Best Actress contenders already : Loren, Davis, Kirby, and (gulp) Adams. Only time will tell.