Things are heating up in Hollywood, with Dune director Denis Villeneuve joining a chorus of critics against Warner Bros to decide to release his full-length slate 2021 movie on HBO Max on the same day it hits theaters. Villeneuve wrote an angry and heartfelt article for Variety, criticizing a decision he was supposedly reported to be "in the news", detailing how many inquiries small filmmakers have been on distribution plans for his works. The famed director behind the inmates, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the upcoming Dune adaptation - due out in 2021 - has largely directed his anger at parent company Warner Bros. AT&T, claiming to have "hijacked one of the most important and respectable in the history of cinema". “There is absolutely no love for the cinema, nor for the public here,” he added. "Cinema is a collaboration, based on the mutual trust of teamwork and Warner Bros. has said they are no longer on the same team."
Directors, join us!
The comments come shortly after Tenet director Christopher Nolan also criticized the move, saying "some of the best filmmakers in our industry and the biggest movie stars went to bed the night before they they thought". 'they were working for the biggest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service. Movies scheduled for release the same day on HBO Max include Dune, The Matrix 4, The Suicide Squad, and Mortal Kombat. Villeneuve's essay is worth reading in its entirety, as an attempt to maintain a screen-cinema look. big alive in a time when it was hurtling toward streaming syndication.Originally, Dune was scheduled to release in 2020, but it was pushed back to October 2021, when public safety measures around cinematic experiences may be completely different, with vaccines starting to roll out around the world."Streaming services are a powerful and positive addition to the film and television ecosystems," argues Villeneuve. "But I want audiences to understand that streaming alone It can't support the movie industry as we knew it before COVID Broadcasting can produce great content, but not movies of the scope and scale of the dune. This Warner Bros. move means Dune won't have a chance to function financially viable and piracy will ultimately triumph." "Warner Bros. could have killed the Dune franchise," he added.
Why then?
It's a thorny issue, as many still feel in danger of congregating in confined spaces for several hours - and the move seems a little preemptive, given the advent of vaccines in some countries. In the case of Villeneuve, in particular, the October 2021 release date seems so far away that it seems unwise to bring it closer to films released earlier. The move effectively marks the end of the theatrical release window, joining the likes of Netflix in ensuring customers can access streaming lower-resolution, smaller-screen versions of big-budget movies from day one. That could be good for streamers, sure, but it could end up costing us a lot of theaters that can't stay in business long-term, as well as depriving us of movies like Dune. the opportunity to attract viewers and is observed as expected. There's a quality issue here – movies made for the small screen, whether smart TVs or smartphones, can't really recreate the same scope, scale, or detail as movies designed for. cinemas. What are the needs of IMAX 8K cameras, when most watch on 4K, HD or SD (shaking) screens? Whichever side it lands on, the coverage of every 2021 movie and the alleged lack of consultation with the filmmakers involved doesn't seem ready to make friends with Warner Media (or HBO Max). Today's best HBO NOW deals