Priyanka Chopra starrer 'Matrix Resurrections' co producer sues Warner Bros over breach of contract
Los Angeles/UNI: Village Roadshow Entertainment Group, a co producer of the Priyanka Chopra-starrer 'The Matrix Resurrections', has sued Warner Bros. for violating contract norms due to releasing the movie in theatres the same day as its streaming release on HBO Max, which it cited as the reason for the lukewarm performance at the box office.
The lawsuit has escalated into a growing hostility between those in the movie industry who stand to make millions of dollars through big theatrical releases and major media companies that have turned to prioritize growing their streaming services.
The suit also claimed that moving the movie's release date from 2022 to 2021 was a bid by Warner Bros. to drive up subscriptions to HBO Max.
“WB's sole purpose in moving the release date of 'The Matrix Resurrections' forward was to create a desperately needed wave of year-end HBO Max premium subscriptions from what it knew would be a blockbuster film, despite knowing full well that it would decimate the film's box office revenue and deprive Village Roadshow of any economic upside that WB and its affiliates would enjoy, especially as compared to a 2022 exclusive theatrical release,” states the complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Warner Bros. decision to release an entire slate of new films concurrently on HBO Max and in theaters has raised many eyebrows.
In addition to "The Matrix", the 16 other films in Warner Bros' simultaneous release strategy included "Dune", "Godzilla vs. Kong", "Mortal Kombat", "King Arthur", and others.
The experiment ended in a disaster, for according to The Wrap only two out of the 17 films were able to gross more than $100 million in domestic box office sales.
"The Matrix Resurrections" is the fourth and the latest in action sci fi series and out of all the Matrix films it recorded the lowest ticket sales, grossing only $37 million in comparison to 'The Matrix' which grossed over a $100 million.
"The Matrix Resurrections" also stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie Ann Moss, Yahya Abdul Mateen 2, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, and Jessica Hemwick.
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