Christopher Nolan slams Warner Bros.’ decision to release movies on "the worst streaming service"

Christopher Nolan has slammed Warner Bros.’ after the studio’s bombshell announcement that their whole 2021 slate of movies would debut simultaneously on HBO Max and in cinemas. It’s safe to say that the Inception and Dunkirk director is not happy with Warner Bros.’ decision.

“Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important movie stars went to bed the night before thinking they were working for the greatest movie studio and woke up to find out they were working for the worst streaming service,” Nolan told The Hollywood Reporter.

Nolan campaigned hard to get his latest movie, Tenet, shown in cinemas earlier this year when cinemas were only just beginning to reopen after worldwide Covid-19 lockdowns – he’s a director who feels strongly about the value of the theatrical experience.

Warner Bros.’ hybrid release plan had already been put in motion for Wonder Woman 1984, and there had been talk of other upcoming movies following suit next year – but no one expected all the studio's releases (including Dune, The Matrix 4 and The Suicide Squad) to go down the same route. 

“Warner Bros. had an incredible machine for getting a filmmaker’s work out everywhere, both in theatres and in the home, and they are dismantling it as we speak,” Nolan added. “They don’t even understand what they’re losing. Their decision makes no economic sense, and even the most casual Wall Street investor can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction.”

The US’ biggest cinema chain, AMC, has also hit out at the studio. “Clearly, Warner Media intends to sacrifice a considerable portion of the profitability of its movie studio division, and that of its production partners and filmmakers, to subsidise its HBO Max startup. As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense,” said CEO Adam Aron.

This is an uncertain time for the movie industry, and only time will tell what the repercussions of this year’s events will be. Assuming there aren’t any other bombshells on the horizon, here’s our list of the other upcoming movies to look forward to next year.