Warner Bros. sued by The Matrix Resurrections production company over HBO Max release
Warner Bros. has been sued by The Matrix Resurrections co-production company and co-financier Village Roadshow Entertainment Group over the film's day and date release on HBO Max.
Amid the pandemic, Warner Bros. released its entire 2021 film slate on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously in the US, including The Matrix Resurrections, Dune, and The Suicide Squad.
"WB's strategy not only ensured that The Matrix Resurrections would be a bust at the box office, but it also inflicted serious harm to the entire Matrix franchise," alleges the lawsuit. "There can be no doubt that the abysmal theatrical box office sales figures from The Matrix Resurrections dilute the value of this tent pole franchise as a film's lack of profitability generally prevents studios from investing in additional sequels and derivative films in the near term." Head over to Variety to see the lawsuit in its entirety.
The Matrix Resurrections has grossed just over $153 million worldwide so far – the lowest total of the franchise. No plans for a sequel have been announced. The suit alleges that the box office was also affected by "rampant piracy" caused by the day and date release strategy.
The film was initially pushed to an April 2022 release, but was later brought forward to December 2021. The lawsuit alleges that: "WB's sole purpose in moving the release date of The Matrix Resurrections forward was to create a desperately needed wave of year-end HBO Max premium subscriptions from what it knew would be a blockbuster film, despite knowing full well that it would decimate the film's box office revenue and deprive Village Roadshow of any economic upside that WB and its affiliates would enjoy, especially as compared to a 2022 exclusive theatrical
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