ワーナー、２０２１年新作映画全てをネット配信　米国内が対象

【ロサンゼルスＡＦＰ＝時事】米映画大手ワーナー・ブラザースは3日、来年公開の映画全作を、劇場と傘下の動画配信サービスHBOマックスで同時公開すると発表した。新型コロナウイルスの流行を受けた画期的な対応となる。（写真は米ハリウッドで行われた映画『ワンダーウーマン』のワールドプレミアに出席した主演のガル・ガドット）
　来年公開の映画には『マトリックス４』のほか、ドゥニ・ヴィルヌーヴ監督が名作ＳＦ映画をリメークした『ＤＵＮＥ・デューン 砂の惑星』などが並ぶ。映画は劇場公開から１か月間、米国内からＨＢＯマックスで視聴できる。米国外では劇場での公開を継続する。
　ワーナーはこれに先立ち、『ワンダーウーマン １９８４』をクリスマス当日の今月２５日に劇場とＨＢＯマックスで同時公開すると発表。これはハリウッドの巨大企業である同社にとって思い切った賭けであり、業界人の間では１回限りの試みだと広く考えられていた。
　ワーナーのアン・サーノフ会長兼最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は「新しいコンテンツが劇場公開の生命線であることは分かっているが、これに加えて、米国の劇場の大半が２０２１年を通して縮小営業となる可能性が高いという現実を考量しなければならない」と述べた。
　今回の決定は米テレビドラマ「ザ・ソプラノズ／哀愁のマフィア」のスピンオフ作品『ザ・メニー・セインツ・オブ・ニューアーク』や、ＤＣコミックスの『スーサイド・スクワッド』続編など、少なくとも１７作に影響する見通し。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/12/04-11:20）

Warner Bros. will release its entire 2021 slate of movies on HBO Max streaming and in theaters simultaneously, including The Matrix 4 and Denis Villeneuve's Dune remake, the studio announced Thursday in a landmark response to the pandemic.
The announcement comes as Hollywood scrambles to cope with the reality of theaters closed across much of the United States due to Covid, and sees one of Tinseltown's biggest studios shatter the traditional window in which blockbuster movies are available only on the big screen at release.
We're living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, said Warner Bros chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff.
No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theaters in the US will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.
The decision, which immediately sent shockwaves through the movie industry, follows Warner's previously announced move to release Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day via its streaming platform at the same time as the big screen.
Industry analysts had widely expected that gamble to be a one-off, at least until its success or failure could be assessed.
Thursday's announcement means that strategy has already been extended to at least 17 titles including the much-anticipated Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, and DC superhero sequel The Suicide Squad.
Arguably the biggest affected film is The Matrix 4, which will see Keanu Reeves reprising his role as kung fu-kicking, shades-wearing hero Neo, and is penned in for a December 2021 release.
The hugely popular franchise about humans trapped in a virtual reality by machines has netted more than $1.6 billion worldwide.
Dune, the latest movie adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic 1965 science fiction novel, was predicted to be one of this year's biggest theatrical events before its release date, originally scheduled for November, was twice delayed due to coronavirus restrictions.
- 'Hybrid model' -
Before the pandemic, blockbuster movies ran only on the big screen for a theatrical window of around 90 days.
Top-performing blockbusters can recoup their production costs many times over during that period, although profits have to be shared with theaters.
But with big screens closed in many parts of the US, including the key markets of New York and Los Angeles, studios have been forced to innovate.
Warner's new hybrid model will see films available on HBO Max streaming in the US for one month from the date of their theatrical release.
The films will continue to receive theatrical releases overseas, where HBO Max is not currently available.
The online service, which launched in the US in May, is expected to expand to Latin America and parts of Europe in the second half of 2021.
Warner released Tenet in theaters this summer, but saw only modest US box office returns, and is now looking to drive subscribers to its streaming service in a market dominated by Netflix and Disney.
All of Hollywood's major studios are scrambling to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, with long-established release plans for mega-budget blockbusters upended.
Disney has begun shifting family-oriented titles to premiere on its Disney+ streaming service, where Mulan debuted at a premium extra fee in September.
It will premiere Pixar title Soul on the same platform Christmas Day in the US, for free to existing subscribers.
Other studios such as Paramount -- which currently lack their own major streaming platforms -- have sold titles previously earmarked for the big screen during the pandemic to the likes of Netflix.