Den stora biografägaren AMC, som bland annat äger Filmstaden här i Sverige, har blivit rejält upprörda på det stora mediabolaget Warner Media. Detta då det igår meddelade att flera av Warner Bros. kommande storfilmer ska visas på Warners streamingtjänst HBO Max.

Det handlar bland annat om filmer som Dune, Matrix 4, Mortal Kombat, The Suicide Squad och Godzilla vs. Kong vilka kommer att börja visas på HBO Max samtidigt som de går upp på biograferna nästa år. AMC Entertainments vd Adam Aron säger i uttalande om Warner Medias planer för Warner Bros. filmer och HBO Max:

"These coronavirus-impacted times are uncharted waters for all of us, which is why AMC signed on to an HBO Max exception to customary practices for one film only, Wonder Woman 1984, being released by Warner Brothers at Christmas when the pandemic appears that it will be at its height. However, Warner now hopes to do this for all their 2021 theatrical movies, despite the likelihood that with vaccines right around the corner the theater business is expected to recover.

Clearly, Warner Media intends to sacrifice a considerable portion of the profitability of its movie studio division, and that of its production partners and filmmakers, to subsidize its HBO Max start up. As for AMC, we will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense. We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business."

Streamingtjänsten HBO Max är redan lanserad i USA och här i Sverige planerar HBO att lansera tjänsten någon gång under andra halvåret 2021.