HBO Max Announces ‘Black Adam’ Streaming Date as Gunn, Safran Continue Making Changes to DC Slate
HBO Max is getting the newest superhero feature from the DC Comics universe a lot sooner than many expected. Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that “Black Adam” will be headed to streaming on Friday, Dec. 16. That’s almost a full month before The Streamable predicted the film would be available to watch from home via WBD’s subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service.
The film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the titular antihero. In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods, but he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again imposes his dark sense of justice onto the world. Refusing to surrender, Teth Adam is challenged by a team of modern-day heroes known as the Justice Society —Hawkman, Doctor Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone — who seek to return him to eternal captivity.
Check out the Trailer for ‘Black Adam’:
The Dec. 16 release date means that “Black Adam” will have had 56 days in theaters before moving to streaming. It has been available to purchase on transactional video-on-demand (TVOD) platforms like Prime Video and Vudu since Nov. 22. The film’s theatrical window is almost identical to that of the animated “DC's League of Super Pets,” which got 59 days in theaters, and also featured “The Rock” in a key role.
The announcement offers further evidence that WBD is following its own unique philosophy when it comes to how it chooses to release its movies. “Black Adam” was the No. 1 film purchased on digital platforms two weeks in a row, according to Indie Wire, so TVOD performance may not have been a huge factor in WBD’s determination of when to send this particular film to streaming. Despite its promising opening weekend, “Black Adam” is only due to net WBD between $52 and $72 million, according to Deadline.
The disappointment over the “Black Adam” box office performance may cause even bigger changes at WBD. Director James Gunn and producer Peter Safran, who were tapped by the company to take charge of its DC properties, made headlines on Dec. 8 when it was announced that the studio would not be moving forward with a third “Wonder Woman” movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter, though Gunn has disputed at least some of the report. The DC slate is in a definite state of flux right now, as Safran and Gunn map out their strategy moving forward.
That strategy will not likely have a big role for kids animated DC series, at least at HBO Max. The company has announced it is licensing animation rights to DC characters to Amazon, which will develop comics-themed animated shows for Prime Video.
While there may be uncertainty about the rest of the DC lineup, WBD has clarified one mystery: “Black Adam” will be available to stream. on HBO Max on Friday, Dec. 16.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.