Patty Jenkins sat down for an interview with Reuters, where she touched upon several points, including the movie industry’s current state and howWonder Woman 1984will be released, after itsmost recent delay pushed it back to Christmas Day.
Despite the issues suffered by the movie industry as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Jenkins insists that streaming “is not even being discussed” forWonder Woman 1984. On the one hand, it’s not that surprising of a stance, given that other high-profile movies likeTenetare sticking to their theater guns, so to speak. What makes it curious, however, are comments Jenkins made about the future of movie theaters.
RELATED:Sofia Vergara is the Highest Paid Actress in the World
The way Jenkins sees it, movie theaters are at crucial crossroads, where shutdowns could hurt theaters so much that the movie industry could experience a shift similar to what was seen in music many years ago, with digital distribution rendering traditional distribution unprofitable. She hopes that Wonder Woman 1984 will lure moviegoers back to the theater, helping to delay or even prevent the demise of the theater experience.
It’s fair to say Jenkins has been pretty vocal about her concerns, joining the multitude of directors, producers and writers who have started a plea to the U.S. Congress for afederal bailout that can help theaters survivethe losses that continue to pile on due to shutdowns and plummeting stock prices in the sector. She also has her fair share of doubts about how an eventual shift to streaming might hit big budget films like theWonder Womanseries she’s become synonymous with.
Perhaps, Jenkins makes the best case for this by highlighting theaters importance in regular life, saying, “I don’t think any of us want to live in a world where the only option is to take your kids to watch a movie in your own living room… and not have a place to go for a date”. Despite her very relatable arguments, therest of Hollywood seems to lack her optimism, given that the current trend leans heavily in favor of pushing back release dates with plenty of room for maneuvering down the road.
One thing is for sure, though, a premiere and release via streaming forWonder Womanis completely ruled out, which is not that surprising when not even Disney, with its own streaming platform, refused to showcase their female superhero blockbusterBlack Widowthat way.
MORE:The Batman Gets Delayed, but Matrix 4 is Coming Sooner
