WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:0 1 00:00.000 --> 00:01.997 Christopher Nolan is calling out Warner Brothers 2 00:01.997 --> 00:03.860 for the studio's shocking decision 3 00:03.860 --> 00:05.690 to smash the theatrical window 4 00:05.690 --> 00:10.293 and send its entire 2021 film slate to HBO Max. 5 00:11.780 --> 00:14.590 Warner Brothers dropped the bombshell news on December 3rd, 6 00:14.590 --> 00:17.220 announcing that next year's 17 films 7 00:17.220 --> 00:19.450 will release on the faltering streaming service 8 00:19.450 --> 00:21.260 on the same day they would be opening 9 00:21.260 --> 00:23.460 in whatever theaters can admit customers 10 00:23.460 --> 00:25.410 amid the coronavirus pandemic. 11 00:25.410 --> 00:28.560 The swift response by many in Hollywood was outrage. 12 00:28.560 --> 00:31.230 To many insiders, blindsiding talent and their reps, 13 00:31.230 --> 00:32.630 seemed like an insult. 14 00:32.630 --> 00:34.240 In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, 15 00:34.240 --> 00:36.090 Nolan, whose relationship with Warner Brothers 16 00:36.090 --> 00:38.860 dates back to "Insomnia" in 2002, 17 00:38.860 --> 00:40.807 said of the morning that the news broke, 18 00:40.807 --> 00:42.880 line:15% "Some of our industry's biggest filmmakers 19 00:42.880 --> 00:45.160 line:15% and most important movie stars went to bed 20 00:45.160 --> 00:47.090 line:15% the night before thinking they were working 21 00:47.090 --> 00:48.245 line:15% for the greatest movie studio 22 00:48.245 --> 00:50.080 line:15% and woke up to find out that 23 00:50.080 --> 00:52.850 line:15% they were working for the worst streaming service." 24 00:52.850 --> 00:55.080 line:15% He added, "Warner Brothers had an incredible machine 25 00:55.080 --> 00:57.540 line:15% for getting a filmmaker's work out everywhere, 26 00:57.540 --> 00:59.510 line:15% both in theaters and in the home. 27 00:59.510 --> 01:01.940 line:15% And they are dismantling it as we speak. 28 01:01.940 --> 01:04.240 line:15% They don't even understand what they're losing. 29 01:04.240 --> 01:06.660 line:15% Their decision makes no economic sense, 30 01:06.660 --> 01:08.830 line:15% and even the most casual Wall Street investor 31 01:08.830 --> 01:12.260 line:15% can see the difference between disruption and dysfunction." 32 01:12.260 --> 01:13.857 Many in Hollywood think Warner Media's decision 33 01:13.857 --> 01:15.780 was a drastic move to play 34 01:15.780 --> 01:17.610 to streaming-infatuated Wall Street 35 01:17.610 --> 01:20.370 and redo the botched launch of HBO Max, 36 01:20.370 --> 01:25.030 which has a dismal 8.6 million activated subscribers so far. 37 01:25.030 --> 01:26.510 By the weekend following the announcement, 38 01:26.510 --> 01:28.760 Warner Brothers Film Studio Chairman Toby Emmerich 39 01:28.760 --> 01:30.930 was reportedly calling important filmmakers 40 01:30.930 --> 01:33.790 with projects set for 2022 to assure them 41 01:33.790 --> 01:35.320 that their movies wouldn't be dropped 42 01:35.320 --> 01:37.170 on the streaming service without warning. 43 01:37.170 --> 01:39.110 Sources say Warner Media insiders have been 44 01:39.110 --> 01:40.900 hoping that Disney will follow its lead 45 01:40.900 --> 01:43.100 and shift its slate to streaming, 46 01:43.100 --> 01:45.140 but Disney, which had seven billion-dollar 47 01:45.140 --> 01:46.630 grossing movies last year 48 01:46.630 --> 01:47.800 isn't about to do that. 49 01:47.800 --> 01:49.330 One agent notes that the way Disney 50 01:49.330 --> 01:51.630 has handled shifting some films to streaming 51 01:51.630 --> 01:54.760 stands in stark contrast to what Warners has done. 52 01:54.760 --> 01:56.200 Adding, that studio executives made 53 01:56.200 --> 01:58.660 preemptive calls to talent and their reps 54 01:58.660 --> 02:00.450 that helped smooth the process. 55 02:00.450 --> 02:01.974 Disney+ subscriber numbers have also 56 02:01.974 --> 02:04.940 outshone HBO Max by a long shot. 57 02:04.940 --> 02:07.887 One talent agent summed up the entire ordeal by saying, 58 02:07.887 --> 02:09.860 "You've had a decade long legacy as being 59 02:09.860 --> 02:12.320 known as the most talent-friendly studio. 60 02:12.320 --> 02:13.890 Now, you've gone from that to a studio 61 02:13.890 --> 02:15.950 that in Starburst colors lit up a sign 62 02:15.950 --> 02:18.450 that says we don't give an F about talent." 63 02:18.450 --> 02:20.470 For more in-depth analysis on this story 64 02:20.470 --> 02:23.630 head to Kim Masters article on THR.com. 65 02:23.630 --> 02:26.084 For The Hollywood Reporter News, I'm Neha Joy. 66 02:26.084 --> 02:28.501 (soft music)