Posted in: Batman, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: hbo max, movies, the batman, Warner Bros

The Batman Will Be On HBO Max 45-Days After Its Release

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic forced movie theaters and studios to confront the "streaming problem" that they had been putting off talking about for years. At first, it looked like just delaying was going to be enough for some studios, but when it became apparent that this was not going away within a couple of months like people hoped in early 2020 thought. By the time 2021 showed up, Disney took this on a case-by-case basis, and Warner Bros. moved their entire slate to a hybrid release model. It seems that the latter is sticking to their statement that the hybrid release model will be a thing of the past, but things will be changing when it comes to the Warner Bros. release model in 2022. WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar was recently on Vox's Recode podcast (via ComicBook.com) and reconfirmed the exact date that The Batman will be appearing on HBO Max.

"Think about when movies would show up on HBO, which is eight to nine months after theatrical premiere. The Batman is going to show up on day 46 on HBO Max," Kilar said. "That is a huge change from where things were in 2018, 2017, 2016."

Kilar went on to confirm that several other major titles will be moving to a 45-day exclusive theatrical window before moving to HBO Max, including The Flash and Black Adam as well.

"I feel really, really good knowing that The Batman, and Black Adam, and The Flash, and Elvis, and a whole host of other movies, are literally going to be showing up on day 46 on HBO Max in a variety of territories all over the world," Kilar said. "That is a very, very big change that I don't think people appreciate, and I feel really good about it."

As we've been saying since the beginning here at Bleeding Cool, if any long-term changes come from the pandemic, shortening the theatrical window should right be right at the top. The 90-day or longer model just doesn't make sense in the age of streaming anymore. Movies like The Batman might move to HBO Max on day 46, but that doesn't mean they need to be removed from theaters on that day as well. If theaters want to keep a showing or two of a movie that has moved to streaming, that is completely within reason. Disney is doing it right now with Encanto, which started off in theaters and is now on Disney+ as well. This should be the model of the future, and let's hope that more studios commit to it.

From Warner Bros. Pictures comes Matt Reeves' The Batman, starring Robert Pattinson in the dual role of Gotham City's vigilante detective and his alter ego, reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne. Two years of stalking the streets as the Batman (Robert Pattinson), striking fear into the hearts of criminals, has led Bruce Wayne deep into the shadows of Gotham City. With only a few trusted allies—Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Lt. James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright)—amongst the city's corrupt network of officials and high-profile figures, the lone vigilante has established himself as the sole embodiment of vengeance amongst his fellow citizens. When a killer targets Gotham's elite with a series of sadistic machinations, a trail of cryptic clues sends the World's Greatest Detective on an investigation into the underworld, where he encounters such characters as Selina Kyle/aka Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz), Oswald Cobblepot/aka the Penguin (Colin Farrell), Carmine Falcone (John Turturro), and Edward Nashton/aka the Riddler (Paul Dano). As the evidence begins to lead closer to home and the scale of the perpetrator's plans becomes clear, Batman must forge new relationships, unmask the culprit, and bring justice to the abuse of power and corruption that has long plagued Gotham City.

Starring alongside Robert Pattinson (Tenet, The Lighthouse) as Gotham's famous and infamous cast of characters are Zoë Kravitz (Big Little Lies, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald); Paul Dano (Love & Mercy, 12 Years a Slave); Jeffrey Wright (No Time to Die, Westworld); John Turturro (the Transformers films, The Plot Against America); Peter Sarsgaard (The Magnificent Seven, Interrogation) as Gotham D.A. Gil Colson; Jayme Lawson (Farewell Amor) as mayoral candidate Bella Reál; with Andy Serkis (the Planet of the Apes films, Black Panther); and Colin Farrell (The Gentlemen, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them). The Batman will be released on March 4, 2022.

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