Currently, HBO Max streams new movies from Warner Bros. the same day they’re released in theaters.
Angela Lang/CNET
HBO Max has become known for streaming new movies when they hit theaters, thanks to the unprecedented number of films streaming there at no extra cost the same day they hit US theaters. But this weekend’s biggest releases — Free Guy, about a bank teller who discovers he’s a character in a video game, and Respect, a biographical movie about Aretha Franklin — aren’t immediately be available to stream on HBO Max, Netflix or anywhere for that matter. (But Free Guy will land at HBO Max eventually,)
That’s because HBO Max is streaming only Warner Bros. movies the same day, and Free Guy and Respect are both distributed by other companies. The latest one, The Suicide Squad, landed on HBO Max last weekend and will keep streaming through Sept. 5. This is also the last weekend to stream Space Jam: A New Legacy on HBO Max.
HBO Max made waves last year when it announced that it would stream new, theatrically released movies from Warner Bros. studio at no extra charge the same day they hit the big screen during 2021. That included The Suicide Squad and Space Jam: A New Legacy, as well as upcoming releases Dune and The Matrix 4. But it also means movies from any other studio won’t.
The strategy is causing some misguided hope among moviegoers when any new movie hits theaters. Without knowing the studio distributing that new flick, lots of people get curious that maybe it’s one of the movies available on HBO Max too.
Warner Bros. movies have the direct pipeline to Max because HBO Max and Warner Bros. are both owned and operated by AT&T’s WarnerMedia. They’re siblings, essentially.
But it’s worth noting that this hybrid strategy is unique to Warner Bros. and HBO. No other Hollywood studios are being this aggressive in putting this many movies (including megabudget ones) on a streaming service immediately at no extra charge.
The hybrid release strategy is so aggressive, in fact, that WarnerMedia is ending it after 2021. Starting in 2022, Warner Bros. movies are expected to have a 45-day window exclusively in theaters before moving to other formats like online rentals and HBO Max. However, that theatrical window will be much shorter than it was before the pandemic.
Is Free Guy on HBO Max or Netflix?
No. Because Free Guy is distributed by 20th Century Studios, part of Disney, it’s not destined for Max nor Netflix now or anytime soon. Disney is giving Free Guy 45 days in theaters exclusively starting Aug. 13, so it won’t be available to stream anywhere while it’s in theaters.
But the first place you’ll be able to stream Free Guy is likely to be HBO Max, just not for months. Film licensing is complicated, and HBO locked up the rights to be the first place to stream 20th Century movies years ago. HBO Max will be the first streaming service to get Free Guy because of the pre-existing licensing arrangement, even though Disney owns streaming services Disney Plus and Hulu, and one or both of them may stream Free Guy even later than HBO.
However, HBO Max isn’t expected to start streaming Free Guy until roughly six to nine months after its theatrical release. That means it won’t be available to stream there until next year.
Is Respect available to stream?
No, Respect is being distributed by United Artists Releasing in the US, and the company is giving it a theatrical exclusive at first as well.
What about other movies out now? Is The Green Knight streaming? Jungle Cruise?
None of those are on Max, but there are ways to stream them.
The Green Knight is distributed by A24, and for weeks it has been another theatrical exclusive. But on Thursday, the medieval fantasy film will be available to stream online for one night only. The $20 digital screening makes the movie available to watch within a four-hour window on Aug. 18 starting 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET. You can watch it on the web or on a Roku or Apple TV streaming device.
Jungle Cruise isn’t on Max, but it is available to stream over on Disney Plus. As part of Disney Plus’ Premier Access model, Jungle Cruise (and Black Widow, for that matter) are available for Disney Plus members to stream if they pay an extra $30 fee on top of the regular cost of their subscriptions.
OK, so what new movies can I stream on HBO Max while they’re in theaters?
Available through Sunday at 11:59 p.m. PT: Space Jam: A New LegacyAvailable through Sept. 5: The Suicide SquadAug. 20: ReminiscenceSept. 10: MalignantSept. 17: Cry MachoOct. 1: The Many Saints of NewarkOct. 22: DuneNov. 19: King RichardDec. 22: The Matrix 4
All these titles will be available on HBO Max the same day they hit theaters in the US.
Generally, most of the new Warner Bros. movies become available to stream on Max at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET on the day of their release. But the arrival timing for other movies may vary, depending on when the first cinematic screenings take place at theaters. Wonder Woman 1984, for example, became available at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET on Dec. 25 because that was the earliest theaters were open that day. The Suicide Squad is in the same boat, arriving on the service at an atypical time.
All Warner Bros. movies released in this “hybrid” model on HBO Max will be available to watch in 4K Ultra HD resolution and HDR image quality, even though those formats aren’t yet standard for the full Max library.
Several movies have already come and gone, including Mortal Kombat and Godzilla vs. Kong. But all these Warner Bros. movies will return to HBO Max to stream a few months after their release. Wonder Woman 1984, for example, is back on HBO Max to stream, after it left the service in January during its theatrical window.
But 2021 is planned to be the only year for this phenomenon of streaming new big-screen movies on HBO Max as soon as they hit theaters. Warner Bros. has said that 10 movies produced by the studio will go directly to HBO Max in 2022, but big franchise movies will have 45 days in theaters exclusively without any streaming option during that time starting next year.