After months of delays, Wonder Woman 1984 finally settled on a theatrical release date of December 25, 2020.
This was further solidified by the accompanying news that the film would also be releasing on HBO Max on the same day, giving viewers multiple options to see the film on release day. Those worried that this may result in a lesser quality experience should be reassured by the fact that WW84 will be available in 4K Ultra HD, as confirmed by director Patty Jenkins.
The release of the tentpole DC film is only a few weeks away, but fans in the United Kingdom will be treated to the film just a bit earlier than the rest of the world. Warner Bros. has been tiding over those who are avidly waiting with brand new posters, which should help make the wait go just a bit quicker.
Earlier, it was reported that Warner Bros. would be making the surprising move to support a simultaneous release in theaters and on HBO Max for its 2021 slate of films.
While this is certainly exciting news for film fans worldwide, some believe that the decision may not be enough to recoup production costs for DC's latest film...
NEWS
Deadline reported that financial analysts are expecting Wonder Woman 1984 to make a loss, saying that the film will need to gross "40% more than Tenet‘s current global take of $357.8 million to hit breakeven."
One insider told the outlet that “If Wonder Woman 1984 does Tenet numbers, it will lose money.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
According to these numbers, it appears that analysts are stating that Wonder Woman 1984 would need to gross over $500 million in order to make its money back. With a production budget of $200 million, this likely points to the film having a colossal marketing budget of over $300 million. This number is much higher than the typical marketing budget for a production, which often amounts to double the initial production budget of a film.
This could be attributed to the fact that WW84 had multiple marketing pushes and campaigns throughout the year to accommodate its various release dates. Because the film was continuously pushed back, this forced the studio to try to anticipate its marketing plan accordingly. As a result, additional costs will have been made to account for this, inflating the breakeven point further than an average blockbuster release.
Whether the analysts are correct in their assumptions is up for debate. An HBO Max release could certainly aid the film, as Tenet was not given the same safety blanket. Increased subscriber numbers could make up for potential losses that a strict theatrical release could lead to, but piracy concerns may affect this, too.
Despite this, $500 million is needed for the film to break even, not just to profit. Warner Bros. would still need to make much more than this figure for them to make a reasonable profit on the film. Therefore, it may seem likely that Warner Bros. is using WW84 to set a precedent so that their future releases are more of a success.
Wonder Woman 1984 releases in theaters and on HBO Max on December 25, 2020.
