Patty Jenkins, who directed the Wonder Woman films, termed movies that release on streaming platforms ‘fake’, during a panel discussion at CinemaCon, reported Los Angeles Times.
The filmmaker made her comment when talking about the hybrid release of her sequel to the 2017 film Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984, which hit theatres on December 25, 2020, along with a simultaneous release on HBO Max in the US.
Calling the decision, which was an outcome of the coronavirus pandemic, a difficult choice yet the best one under the circumstances, Jenkins said, “I hope to avoid it forever. The truth is I make movies for the big screen. I’m okay with people watching it for a second or third time on their phone, but I’m not making it for that experience.”
She further said, “All of the films that streaming services are putting out, I’m sorry, they look like fake movies to me. I don’t hear about them, I don’t read about them. It’s not working as a model for establishing legendary greatness.”
When asked if streaming and theatricals can co-exist, Jenkins, who has a series deal with Netflix said, “Streaming is great for massive amounts of content and bingeing TV shows. I think they are two very different skill sets and I see them succeeding as two very different things.”
The panel at CinemaCon, a gathering of theatre owners and studio executives in Las Vegas, revolved around the future of cinema and also included Paramount Pictures domestic distribution president Chris Aronson, Marcus Theatres CEO Rolando Rodriguez and Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi.
It is notable that soon after the announcement of the hybrid release of Wonder Woman 1984, Warner Bros announced that their entire 2021 slate of films will release on HBO Max as well as in theatres on the same day.
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It is also interesting to note that while Wonder Woman garnered around $822 million worldwide, its sequel collected less than $167 million from theatres across the world.
Earlier, Steven Spielberg, a vocal critic of streaming platforms, announced a multi-year collaboration between his Amblin Partners and Netflix. In 2019, Spielberg had stated that films releasing on OTT must not qualify for the Oscars. He had further urged audiences to go to the cinemas instead of opting for Netflix.