In a new lawsuit, the co-producer of The Matrix Resurrections attributes the film’s unsuccessful box office figures to its release on the streaming platform on the same day, and has filed a lawsuit over this issue. Village Roadshow Entertainment Group has filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros., owner of streaming platform HBO Max, The Wall Street Journal reported. The lawsuit alleges that both releasing Matrix Resurrections on the same day and pushing the movie’s release date forward are breaches of contract. The lawsuit also alleges that moving the movie’s release date from 2022 to 2021 is an attempt by Warner Bros. to increase HBO Max subscriptions.
Warner Bros.’s decision to release a list of new movies on HBO Max and in theaters at the same time last year was viewed with skepticism by many. In addition to The Matrix, 16 other films in Warner Bros’ simultaneous screening strategy include Dune, Godzilla vs. There were other big names like Kong, Mortal Kombat, King Arthur. As The Wrap points out, this trial has likely been a deciding factor for the movies’ box office fortunes. Only two of the 17 films have grossed over $100 million at the US box office.
Launching in December, normally the highest time for box office earnings, Matrix Resurrections has barely reached over $37.2 million in domestic box office sales, BoxOfficeMojo reports. That’s a drop in comparison to other blockbuster movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home, which was theatrical-only during the winter months of the previous year and grossed more than $748 million in domestic box office sales, and the James Bond movie No Time To Die, which grossed more than $160 million. can be seen much more clearly.
Village Roadshow also claims that Warner Bros. is trying to steer clear of the company from future movie and TV deals. The lawsuit alleges that “The WB is also contemplating several plans to deprive Village Roadshow of its rights to co-own and co-invest in works derived from the films it owns.”
The Matrix lawsuit is the latest conflict between Hollywood studios and the media companies that own the streaming platforms. Black Widow actress Scarlett Johansson sued Disney last year over its simultaneous release strategy, which she claims damaged the film’s box office prospects and its own earnings. Johansson later received an undisclosed deal from Disney last fall.
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