HBO Max Quietly Enacts Another Change for Movies Released to Theaters

HBO Max's latest change will be sad news for some movie fans, though others may be relieved. According to a report by Decider, one of Warner Bros. Discovery's many changes is that it will no longer add all of its new movies to HBO Max 45 days after they premiere in theaters. For those that have enjoyed this pandemic-era perk, this will certainly be disappointing.

Warner Bros. was one of the boldest studios during the height COVID-19 pandemic, as it premiered all of its movies simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in 2021 at no additional cost. Starting in 2022, the company's new policy was to add new movies to the HBO Max catalog 45 days after they premiered in theaters — an initiative known as "Project Popcorn." Now that WarnerMedia's merger with Discovery Inc. is taking shape, CEO David Zalav has some changes in mind. During his second quarter earnings call on Thursday, he said that the time between theaters and streaming would be determined on a "case-by-case basis" from now on.

"Project Popcorn" was reportedly quite profitable for HBO Max, and it was certainly popular in comment sections on social media. However, many people did worry about how theaters would stay afloat with this tempting alternative looming over them. In that sense, the end of this policy may seem like a good thing in some circles.

Still, the end of "project popcorn" contributed to the overall sentiment that Warner Bros. and HBO Max are steering away from the thing that helped make them a success in the crowded streaming world — movies. Many people on Twitter have remarked that HBO Max was the best streamer specifically for movie fans, and "Project Popcorn" was undoubtedly part of that. Without that perk, users may not feel a particular pull to stay subscribed to HBO Max year-round.

So far, "Project Popcorn" has given at-home viewers relatively early access to movies like The Batman and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. Up until this week, fans assumed that Baz Luhrman's Elvis would get the same treatment, but now that does not appear to be the case. The disappointment will likely be even more palpable later this year when Warner Bros. newest DC Comics adaptations are due out — Black Adam on Oct. 21 and Shazam! Fury of the Gods on Dec. 21. 

HBO Max has other changes on the way, likely including a name change in the summer of 2023 as it merges with the streamer Discovery+. The newly combined company hopes to capitalize on its reality TV content, but hopefully not at the expense of its roots in the film industry.