After causing much consternation by planning to split its 2021 film release schedule between both cinemas and (in the US) streaming service HBO Max, Warner Bros. is looking to focus more on bigger screens in 2022, but some of its DC output will still premiere on TVs.
According to DC Films president Walter Hamada, who was profiled by The New York Times, the studio will be releasing bigger movies such as The Batman and The Suicide Squad exclusively in cinemas, while those deemed as "riskier" (the Static Shock movie, say) are headed directly to HBO Max. Hamada offered no details on exactly which films would receive the different release plan, but it ties into Warner Bros.' expanded use of streaming, much in the same way that Disney and Marvel are mixing movies and Disney+ series.
Also mentioned in the piece? A mention of the Multiverse going forward, as will be showcased in the various alternate reality Batman characters and more planned for the next Flash movie. Hamada appears unconcerned about audiences being confused. "I don’t think anyone else has ever attempted this," he says. "But audiences are sophisticated enough to understand it. If we make good movies, they will go with it." Again, it's something that Marvel is also trying with its next Spider-Man movie and the Doctor Strange sequel.
Finally, those expecting Zack Snyder's new cut of Justice League to have an impact on the DCEU he helped launch going forward will be disappointed, with his four-hour version of the movie described as a storytelling "cul-de-sac" that will lead nowhere. For more from Hamada, head to The New York Times' site.