Dune won’t favor cinemas against streaming in the US

Dune will premiere in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day in the US, despite the director Denis Villeneuve being strongly against it.

Warner Bros. first announced that 2021 films would have simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max debut, while many directors like Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan voiced their displeasure with the decision. For Villeneuve, it’s because of his upcoming “Dune” film led by Timothee Chalamet that hopes to launch a franchise with a spin-off series already in development for the streamer.

According to earlier news, Timothee Chalamet’s “Dune “ wouldn’t hit HBO Max when it comes out and it would become a theater exclusive once again. However, Johanna Fuentes (Head of Communications WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group) just confirmed that “Dune” will premiere in theaters and on HBO Max on the same day in the US.

There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here. It is all about the survival of AT&T, the company is currently bearing an astronomical debt of more than $150 billion. Therefore, even though “Dune” is about cinema and audiences, AT&T is about its own survival on Wall Street. With HBO Max’s launch a failure thus far, AT&T decided to sacrifice Warner Bros.’ entire 2021 slate in a desperate attempt to grab the audience’s attention.

““Dune” is by far the best movie I’ve ever made. My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big screen experience. Our movie’s image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters.” as Denis Villeneuve said.

“Dune’s” shooting ended in July 2019, but there was some additional shooting in August at ORIGO Film Studios near central Budapest. “Dune” will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September ahead of an exclusive theatrical release on October 1st. Nonetheless, the future looks brighter, Warner Bros. has reached a deal with Regal to bring back 45-day theatrical windows in 2022.

Sources: Heroichollywood, Variety