A technical glitch on the HBO website has accidentally revealed the release dates for HBO Max and the pay-per-view cable network of Batman’s current blockbuster, set to gross half a billion dollars worldwide by this weekend at the global box office.
The list you can see below has since been removed, but we’ve heard that the dates for Tuesday, April 19 on HBO Max and Saturday, April 23 on HBO linear are legal. It all makes sense, by the way: WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has consistently mentioned that in 2022 and until further notice, all Warner Bros theatrical releases will be released on HBO Max 45 days after their theatrical debut.
In the case of The Batman, 46 days have passed since its release in the US and Canada on March 4th.
Last year, Warner Bros implemented a controversial day and date plan for its theatrical films on HBO Max; this is as a means to increase the number of subscribers to its OTT service while keeping event titles from being circulated during the pandemic. Batman represents the return of Warner Bros to the theatrical showcase, and hell, it was a success.
The Batman movie details page at HBO.com HBO
In the US, The Batman had a fantastic second-weekend success: -50% from $66.5M (-41% if you drop a $21.6M opening weekend preview from its $134M start ). This second-weekend hold outpaced the Disney Marvel movie’s second-weekend hold, which averaged -63%, and outpaced the second-weekend decline of previous DC films such as Batman v Superman (-69%) and “Darkness”. Knight Rises (-61%), Justice League (-56%) and The Dark Knight (-53%).
By Tuesday, The Batman had grossed $252.5 million in the US. Industry estimates put Batman’s final domestic bill at $400 million. The film won’t have another major studio release until March 25: Paramount’s The Lost City, starring Sandra Bullock, Channing Tatum, Daniel Radcliffe and Brad Pitt.
Deadline reported last week that HBO Max had given a direct order for the Penguin series, which will see Colin Farrell reprise his villainous role from the movie as one of Gotham’s legendary kingpins.
Batman director Matt Reeves told the Deadline Hero Nation podcast that Penguin picks up where the movie left off with regards to the villain. He said that the original Batman series he envisioned, centered around a corrupt cop caught up in the events leading up to the film, is no longer being promoted on HBO Max. Penguin is executive produced by Reeves, Dylan Clark, Farrell and Lauren LeFrank, who writes and serves as showrunner.
When it succeeded, HBO Max did not comment on HBO’s The Batman release dates or the website glitch.