While near every upcoming blockbuster has vacated its 2020 release date in the last few months, one film is still – for now – holding fast, and that’s Wonder Woman 1984. Patty Jenkins’ much-anticipated DC Comics sequel is currently still down to release before the end of the year, due on Christmas Day in the US and Boxing Day in the UK. And while nothing has yet changed on that front, Variety reports that Warner Bros is looking into alternative plans for Diana Prince’s latest adventure.
With a Christmas release looking increasingly unlikely, the studio is said to be pursuing two potential options: continuing with the current theatrical release date, followed speedily by an HBO Max streaming release in January 2021, or moving the film back yet again into summer 2021 and keeping it as a pure cinema launch. There are plenty of factors at play here – the fact that WW84 would be a huge boost to HBO Max, balanced out by the fact that a near-simultaneous streaming launch might diminish box office takings that are already set to be a lot lower than they would have been pre-pandemic; that cinemas are increasingly in need of a major blockbuster to keep them going in the coming months; that the film has already been delayed several times (it initially had a 13 December 2019 release date).
And depending on which avenue Warner Bros chooses, it’s unknown when exactly it will hit UK shores. If it does lean towards a HBO Max release, that streaming service doesn’t yet have a UK equivalent – Robert Zemeckis’ The Witches, which went straight to HBO Max, became a paid-for premium rental on these shores. And while the current England lockdown has cinemas closed here until 2 December at least, it remains to be seen whether the government measures will actually be lifted and allow cinemas to be open in time for the current Boxing Day release.
Either way, stay tuned for more news on when Wonder Woman 1984 will land – here’s hoping it finds a way to be seen in the best way possible (large and loud on a cinema screen, with all those vibrant ‘80s neon colours), in a way that feels safe for audiences.