DC Films President Walter Hamada announces plans to release up to four high budget films in theatres, and two riskier films on HBO Max, each year starting in 2022, connecting the entire multiverse with multiple ‘offshoot’ series.
Comic book fans are about to get a lot more content. While the pandemic has pushed studios to the brink, it has also forced them to rethink their production and distribution plans; recent announcements display ingenuity and ambition we haven’t previously seen, at least to such a degree. Netflix intends to release six animated features a year, while Disney has unleashed a slew of Star Wars, Marvel, and fully animated projects. And now, WarnerMedia has revealed plans to release up to six superhero movies a year. If they are vying to compete with Marvel… good luck!
Putting the Ray Fisher drama behind him, DC Films President Walter Hamada sat down with The New York Times to share WarnerMedia’s new film release plans. According to Hamada, the most expensive DC movies (up to four a year, starting in 2022) are designed for release in theatres. Additional superhero films (two annually is the goal, perhaps focused on riskier characters like Batgirl and Static Shock) will arrive exclusively on HBO Max, the fledgling streaming service owned by WarnerMedia. HBO Max series “offshoots” will also connect the main films, creating a multiverse much like Lucasfilm and Marvel are doing with great success. “With every movie that we’re looking at now, we are thinking, ‘What’s the potential Max spinoff?’” Mr. Hamada said.
While this seems very much like copying, DC fans do deserve to see their favorite characters shine. Would you watch that many non-Marvel superhero movies a year?
Cybersecurity specialist by day, investigative journalist by night.
