#Wonder Woman 1984: HBO Max Delivers a Tremendous Christmas Gift!

The long wait for Wonder Woman 1984 is almost over. 

The superhero sequel is changing course yet again. 

Warner Bros. broke the news Wednesday that the movie will launch in the remaining cinemas that will be open for business on December 25. 

But, there’s an almighty twist in the tale.

With a second wave of COVID-19 ravaging cinemas, the movie is also headed to HBO Max that same day. 

The news has been heavily rumored for weeks following multiple delays, and follows a similar announcement that brought The Witches to HBO Max in time for Halloween. 

The best part of the announcement is that the movie will be available at no additional cost to HBO Max subscribers. 

Earlier this year, Disney felt a lot of heat for releasing Mulan on Disney at a premium to subscribers. 

Wonder Woman: 1984 was initially set to launch in June, before being pushed to August, and then to October, and, finally, to December 25.

COVID-19 has all but brought cinemas to a halt around the world, with an estimated 50% in the U.S. alone out of operation. 

While some of them are open for business, there is a lack of new films making their way there as movie studios get to grips with the effect of COVID-19. 

The original Wonder Woman was a global success, earning $821.8 million at the worldwide box office. 

It reunites Patty Jenkins with Gal Gadot. 

Unfortunately, the movie will only be available in theaters in territories without HBO Max, meaning that only a select number of people will actually be able to see the movie. 

Given that the movie cost around $200 million to make, it is going to be a risky move, but given that the original movie was popular, it could help drive up subscriptions for WarnerMedia’s streaming service. 

What are your thoughts on the news?

Hit the comments below. 

Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.