HBO Max streams new movies from Warner Bros. the same day they're released in theaters.
Angela Lang/CNETIn the Heights, the new musical film based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Broadway show, hit HBO Max to stream the same day it landed in theaters Thursday. It joins The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It as the latest films that you can choose to either stream or watch on the big screen. But not every movie in theaters now is available on Max. Don't look to HBO Max for movies like A Quiet Place Part 2. In fact, A Quiet Place Part 2 isn't available to stream at all.
HBO Max made waves last year when it announced it would stream new, theatrically released movies at no extra charge the same day each film hits US cinemas in 2021 -- but only if they're distributed by the studio Warner Bros. That means every Warner Bros. movie this year will be released both on HBO Max and in cinemas at the same time, including In the Heights, Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, Dune and The Matrix 4 to come.
But it also means movies from any other studio won't.
This so-called hybrid release strategy for Warner Bros. and HBO Max is unprecedented, but it's also sparking some misguided hope among moviegoers when any new movie hits theaters. Without knowing the studio distributing that new flick, lots of people get curious that maybe it's one of the movies available on HBO Max too.
Warner Bros. movies have the direct pipeline to Max because HBO Max and Warner Bros. are both owned and operated by AT&T's WarnerMedia. They're siblings, essentially.
But it's worth noting that this hybrid strategy is unique to Warner Bros. and HBO. No other Hollywood studios are being this aggressive in putting this many movies (including megabudget blockbusters) on a streaming service immediately.
The hybrid release strategy is so aggressive, in fact, that WarnerMedia is ending it after 2021. Starting in 2022, Warner Bros. movies are expected to have a window of time exclusively in theaters before moving to other formats like online rentals and HBO Max. However, that theatrical window will be much shorter than it was before the pandemic.
How can I stream In the Heights and The Conjuring 3?
Both In the Heights and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It are available to stream on HBO Max for all subscribers on its $15-a-month ad-free tier. They're available at no added cost.
But anybody who subscribes to the service's $10-a-month ad-supported tier can't watch the In the Heights, Conjuring 3 or any of the same-day movies that'll be on Max through the rest of the year. These same-day films are the only element of the HBO Max library unavailable to people on the $10 tier.
And you can't sign up temporarily for HBO Max to watch these movies on a free trial, either. HBO Max killed off its free trial late last year. But some people qualify for an upgrade to HBO Max with their regular HBO subscription on traditional TV, and some AT&T wireless customers can unlock HBO Max with special promotions.
Is A Quiet Place Part 2 on HBO Max?
Nope. The sequel to horror hit A Quiet Place is distributed by Paramount Pictures, and it's only in theaters.
But! A Quiet Place Part 2 will be available on streaming service Paramount Plus 45 days after its theatrical release, which puts it on track to stream beginning July 12. That's much faster than theatrically released movies would have made it to a streaming service before the pandemic.
Can I stream Cruella on HBO Max?
No again. But Cruella is available to stream now on Disney Plus -- for a price. Cruella requires Disney Plus subscribers to pay a $30 fee to unlock it. This is what Disney calls Premier Access, and it's how Disney Plus already released Raya and the Last Dragon and how it'll release Marvel's Black Widow on July 9.
Cruella will be available to stream at no added cost to all regular Disney Plus subscribers on Aug. 27.
OK, so what new movies can I stream on HBO Max when they're in theaters?
All these titles will be available on HBO Max the same day they hit US theaters.
Any title listed with a "TBD" doesn't have a confirmed release date yet, but it's placed on the list in loose chronological order for when it's expected.
Generally, most of the new Warner Bros. movies become available to stream on Max at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET on the day of their release. But the timing for other movies may vary, depending on when the first cinematic screenings take place at theaters. Wonder Woman 1984, for example, became available at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET on Dec. 25 because that was the earliest theaters were open that day.
The movies will be available to stream on HBO Max for 31 days. They're generally expected to be removed from the service at 11:59 p.m. PT on that 31st day.
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