Every story has a bad guy or antagonist. In the world of professional wrestling, the more common term is “heel.” In this scenario, Warner Bros. is the baby face Hulk Hogan. Its streaming platform, HBO Max, is the NWO (New World Order). Not a fan of wrestling? Then I’ll use a more well-known reference. “Anakin Skywalker has turned to the dark side!”

According to Variety, Warner Bros. will debut their 2021 films on both HBO Max and In Theaters. Starting December 25th, subscribers can watch Wonder Woman 1984 from the comfort of their homes. This will cut into the bottom line of theater chains in a big way. Places like AMC are already selling themselves out to pay the rent. Now with the option to stay home and stay safe, people have even less of a reason to go out.

Next year, for only $14.99 a month, you will have access to the biggest upcoming blockbusters. The list of films slated is currently at 17. Some names you might recognize are The Conjuring 3, The Matrix 4, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Dune, Tom & Jerry, Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad (sequel), Godzilla vs. Kong, and The Many Saints of Newark (Sopranos prequel). The list above is only the films from existing franchises.

New film projects you can look forward to are Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights, Malignant from James Wan, Those Who Wish Me Dead, King Richard, Judas and The Black Messiah, and The Little Things from Denzel Washington. Its never been a better time to be a film fan. Although this is good news for streamers, it is bitter sweet. Many mom & pop theaters have closed their doors forever. While the big theaters struggle to operate.

This is without a doubt linked to the overnight success of Disney+. Hauling in 73.7 million subscribers in its freshman year. While HBO/Max subscribers total 38 million after a decade long head start. Looks like we got ourselves a streaming war folks. Unfortunately, the movie theaters will pay the price. As tickets usually cost about $15. Now only one person has to subscribe and call the family over or share their password. Is this the end of the movie-going experience? Only time can tell.

Want more? Sign up for the newsletter by clicking here.