'The Batman' hits HBO Max April 18 despite ongoing theater draws
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD
-4.6%) is getting an early look at the possible downside of new shorter cinema release windows, with its confirmation that 2022's biggest hit The Batman will head to HBO Max next Monday, April 18.
The film will also air on the linear version of HBO Saturday night, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET.
That's good news for subscribers to HBO or HBO max who haven't seen the film, or want to see it again. But it risks cannibalizing some theater business - and The Batman was still among the top five films at domestic theaters over the weekend.
It grossed $6.55 million in the 3,254 theaters where it's still available - and after six weeks in theaters, it nearly outperformed brand-new opener Ambulance over the weekend.
Notably, Warner Bros. set up something of a 2021 experiment by deciding in late 2020 that all of its 2021 slate would be released simultaneously online, a sticking-point issue for theater owners who lose out when consumers go online instead of out to the movies.