Warner Bros. to release movies on HBO Max for the next year

“Wonder Woman 1984” studio Warner Bros. is throwing a golden lasso around a new and controversial way of releasing movies in a sign of how dramatically the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the film distribution business. Warner Bros. announced Thursday it will release its entire slate of 2021 films — including potential blockbusters such as the upcoming “Dune,” “Godzilla vs. Kong” and a fourth “Matrix” — in U.S. theaters and on its sister streaming service HBO Max at the same time — a stunning departure from how Hollywood usually does business. The Leawood, Kan.-based company, the world’s largest cinema circuit, had praised Warner Bros.’ release strategy for “Wonder Woman 1984” but sharply criticized the studio’s updated plans. Warner Bros.’ 2021 release schedule consists of 17 movies: “The Little Things,” “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Tom & Jerry,” “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Mortal Kombat,” “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” “In The Heights,” “Space Jam: A New Legacy,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Reminiscence,” “Malignant,” “Dune,” “The Many Saints of Newark,” “King Richard,” “Cry Macho” and “Matrix 4.”