It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s ‘Superman,’ but when will it be HBO Max?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s ‘Superman,’ but when will it be HBO Max?
The film looks to be the most successful DC property to hit screens in years, which means the wait for it to stream could be a long one.
The Man of Steel is back in cinemas. “Superman” officially hits theaters on Friday, July 11, but preview screenings have already begun across the United States. In a reverse of recent trends from DC movies, “Superman” is popular with critics and audiences alike; does that mean the wait for it to stream could be a long one? We’ll give our educated prediction on that question below.
Key Details:
- Ratings of steel: Critics and preview audiences are giving the movie rave reviews.
- Remember the HBO!: “Superman” will stream on the newly renamed HBO Max first.
- A needed win: Warner Bros. Discovery will almost certainly give the movie a long theatrical release.
“Superman” follows the heroic Clark Kent, who was sent to Earth 30 years ago by Kryptonian parents who wanted to save their son from their planet’s destruction. He grows up to become Superman, the most powerful metahuman on the planet, who stands for all that is good in the world. But when Lex Luthor’s schemes against the Man of Steel cause public opinion to turn against him, Superman faces his most difficult task yet.
“Superman” is the best-reviewed DC movie to hit theaters in some time, earning an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes as of the time of this writing. Even better from Warner Bros. Discovery’s perspective, the movie has a 96% from preview audiences who have already seen the movie.
Watch a trailer for ‘Superman’:
When will ‘Superman’ be streaming?
“Superman” is looking to break a pattern of mediocrity for WBD, which is counting on James Gunn to shepherd DC Studios into a new era of prosperity. Like other DC movies that didn’t fare so well, “Superman” will eventually stream on HBO Max when it has finished its theatrical run.
How long will that take? There’s little reason to think that “Superman” will be running at full speed onto the service. It’s true that recent WBD movie releases like “Mickey 17” and “A Minecraft Movie” came to the service in less than 80 days, but WBD CEO David Zaslav needs a win on the scale of “Superman” very badly. That gives me every reason to think the theatrical window for the film could be a month longer than the wait for those other films, or more.
I think that “Superman” will premiere on HBO Max on Friday, Nov. 7, 119 days from its initial release date. That should give the film plenty of time to accumulate as large a box office as possible, as well as pull in revenue from digital rental and purchase platforms before streaming with a subscription.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and 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. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.