LOS ANGELES: Diana Prince may be able to best Cheetah, but she’s no match for a global pandemic.
China is one of the few theatrical markets where moviegoing had shown signs of life during a public health catastrophe, but revenues around the country were still down 30%. It’s getting a more robust rollout overseas. The film opened this weekend in 32 foreign markets. “Wonder Woman 1984” pulled in US$3.6 million in Taiwan, US$2 million in Thailand, US$1.7 million in Brazil, and US$1.6 million in Mexico and Japan.
The hope is that Wonder Woman 1984 will create some buzz around HBO Max when it debuts on the streaming service. Both HBO Max and Warner Bros are owned by AT&T, which is trying to break into the lucrative streaming market and hold off a challenge from Netflix. Warner Bros. recently announced that in light of the pandemic it would be release its entire 2021 film slate, which includes tentpole favourites like “Dune” and “The Matrix 4,” on HBO Max at the same time they open in theatres.