During a Tuesday-night investor event, AT&T announced that every DC movie, including the newly released Joker, will stream exclusively on HBO Max when it launches in May 2020. With Apple, Disney, and other entertainment giants launching their own streaming platforms, the pressure is on HBO Max to deliver something worth the price of admission.
The DCEU films could prove to be a major draw. Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix, is widely considered to be one of the best comic book movies in years. On top of that, Joker dethroned Deadpool as the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time. While prestigious award shows usually ignore superhero movies (with the exception of technical categories like special effects and sound editing), Joker received a surprising reaction after its premiere. Joker and director Todd Phillips were honored with the Golden Lion award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival this August. And while other DC movies have received less favorable critical reviews, the films have a passionate fan base.
At an investor event on Tuesday, October 29, HBO chief content officer Kevin Reilly announced that DC movies would soon become the exclusive streaming domain of HBO Max. The new platform is set to launch in May 2020. In addition to the modern DCEU films like Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, Suicide Squad, and Joker, HBO Max will also stream every Batman and Superman movie released over the past four decades. While Marvel’s biggest releases have been available on Netflix after their theatrical runs, the latest DC movies have been harder to find. Now, fans of the DCEU and classic Superman films can watch all of their favorite superhero films in one place. In a statement confirming the announcement on Twitter, HBO Max says that it’s “all in with DC!” The movies will be available for at least one year following the launch of HBO Max.
For the price of $14.99, HBO Max customers will have access to an incredible number of movies and TV shows. In addition to HBO original series like Watchmen and The Sopranos, HBO Max has reached library deals with dozens of other entertainment companies. However, at the time of the announcement, it wasn’t clear how the deal would affect the fledgling DC Universe streaming platform. DC Universe is one of many new streaming platforms to hit the internet, and it’s struggled to attract a loyal fanbase.
In June 2019, news leaked that WarnerMedia was “reevaluating” DC Universe after its acquisition by AT&T. That news suddenly makes more sense now that AT&T has decided to go all-in on HBO Max. With Joker headed to HBO Max instead of DC Universe, it will be harder to justify an investment in the new content streaming platform. While DC Universe has not been canceled yet, that news may be imminent in the near future. If DC Universe is canceled, it would be the latest casualty in the streaming wars.
Next: Game of Thrones: Targaryen Prequel Show Coming To HBO
- Wonder Woman 2 Release Date: 2020-12-25 Suicide Squad 2 Release Date: 2021-08-06 Birds of Prey Release Date: 2020-02-07