Welp, the inevitable has happened, folks. Warner Bros. is pushing the release of WONDER WOMAN 1984 from its October 2nd theatrical premiere to December 25, Christmas Day, in the United States.
Director Patty Jenkins said of the delay: “First and foremost let me say how much Gal and I love all our devoted Wonder Woman fans around the world, and your excitement for Wonder Woman 1984 couldn’t make us happier or more eager for you to see the movie. Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, I’m hopeful you won’t mind waiting just a little bit longer. With the new date on Christmas Day, we can’t wait to spend the holidays with you!”
Warner Bros. Chairman Toby Emmerich added: “Patty Jenkins is an exceptional filmmaker and with Wonder Woman 1984 she has delivered an incredibly dynamic film that moviegoers of all ages around the world will absolutely love. We’re very proud of the film and look forward to bringing it to audiences for the holidays.”
It's also been included in reports that Warner Bros. plans to keep DUNE in its December 18 slot, meaning that Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic will clash with DC's warrior princess just one week into its release.
Word around the old Themyscira coliseum is that the studio has been pondering Wonder Woman's rescheduling for quite some time, and theaters have known the change was coming. Then there's the matter of 30% of theaters still being shuttered in the United States alone, including Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, and San Francisco. A recent poll suggests that moviegoers are game to brave new theater conditions to see Gal Gadot go toe-to-toe with Cheetah and Maxwell Lord, but those numbers simply don't translate to keeping the superhero sequel on the calendar for the month of October.
Good grief. Does anyone remember when WONDER WOMAN 1984 was originally slated for a December 13, 2019 release? Those sure were good times, eh? In time, the movie had been moved to November 1, 2019, then to June 5, 2020. Now, we'll have to wait for Diana to catch a ride aboard Santa's sleigh, provided it doesn't get delayed again.
I suppose my question now is this: Are these delays making you crave WONDER WOMAN 1984 more or less? Are you among those who would return to theaters to watch one-third of DC's prized superhero trinity do her thing? What do you think having WONDER WOMAN in the Christmas Day slot will do to DUNE's box office returns? Sound off in the comments below and let us know where you stand.