AMC and Warner Bros. have reached a deal that allows the movies to remain in theaters for 45 days instead of immediately being available online (via The Hollywood Reporter). The announcement was made by AMC CEO Adam Aron on an earnings call. It means Warner Bros. will not make its 2022 movies (which include Sesame Street and The Batman) available online or at home until six weeks after they are released in theaters.Although Warner Bros. had already reached a similar agreement with Regal Cinemas owners in the past, today's news seems to signal the end of the streaming experiment that the studio was trying in 2021. Although HBO Max is not getting movies on the same day that theaters, it's not the same as pre-pandemic. In the past, theaters had exclusive rights to movies for 75 to 90 days. This was much longer than the current deals. Streaming remains a major focus for Warner Bros. AMC stated on the call that all Warner Bros. movies in 2022 would be subject to the exclusive window. However, WarnerMedias CEO said HBO Max will receive 10 exclusive films next year.Movies were viewed in theaters for 75 to 90 days.Warner Bros. is not the only studio that is negotiating theater exclusives. AMC and Universal have also reached a deal that allows for a 17-day exclusive window. Paramount and Disney will each be granted a 45-day window. While most of these studios have their own streaming services that they manage and sell, theaters are still important to the movie industry. AMC stated that it is in active dialogue with all major studios about theater exclusivity windows.AMC wasn't happy with Warner Bros. HBO Max pushAron stated that the theater chain wasn't happy with Warner Bros.' plan to release its streaming and theater content on the same day. The theater chain was not the only one feeling this way. Director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner, 2049, Dune), and Christopher Nolan (“Tenet,” Inception”) all declared same-day streaming the end of cinema.Actors, whose salaries are tied to box-office performance, were also upset about streaming releases. Scarlett Johansson sued Disney over Black Widows' release. It's easy to see why studios would consider releasing movies in the traditional way, even if they have shorter windows.A number of theaters and acquisitions were also mentioned during the earnings call. AMC announced it will be opening approximately a dozen theaters around the world, along with acquiring a few theaters from Arclight / Pacific, which earlier this year said it would not be reopening following COVID. If you're looking to catch a movie as soon it becomes available, this is good news.
