By: Alec Concejero
DC fans from Southeast Asia will finally get to see Wonder Woman 1984 after much speculation about its release date.
“Wonder Woman 1984” will be premiering in Singaporean and Malaysian cinemas on December 17, while the Philippines will have to wait a little longer as it will be released on January 8, 2021.
This news dropped after Warner Bros. announced that on Dec. 25, the same day it will be released in U.S. movie theaters, the superhero sequel will debut on the streaming service HBO Max, exclusively in countries where it is currently available.
In most countries outside the United States, where HBO Max is not yet available, the film will be shown a week earlier, on December 16, in cinemas.
“As we navigate these unprecedented times, we’ve had to be innovative in keeping our businesses moving forward while continuing to super-serve our fans,” said Ann Sarnoff, chair and CEO of WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group, which includes Warner Bros. Pictures.
“This is an amazing film that really comes to life on the big screen and, working with our partners in the exhibition community, we will provide that option to consumers in the U.S. where theaters are open. We realize that a lot of consumers can’t go back to the movies due to the pandemic, so we also want to give them the option to see Wonder Woman 1984 via our HBO Max platform.”
In the movie, which is set in the DC Justice League universe, Gal Gadot stars as the eponymous superheroine. Wonder Woman faces two villains in this new installment, Max Lord and Cheetah.
Directed by Patty Jenkins, in the middle of the pandemic, WW84 was delayed three times. Originally, it was scheduled for 5 June, before switching to 14 August, then 2 October, then 25 December.
One of the few blockbusters to be released since the pandemic began is the movie, which cost roughly US$180 million (S$242 million) to make. Warner Bros was also the first studio during the pandemic to release a big-budget movie, “Tenet”.