Screentime
Warner Bros. Guarantees Filmmakers a Payday for HBO Max Movies
- Breaking with tradition, bonuses are less tied to box office
- Seventeen of its films to debut in theaters and online in 2021
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Warner Bros. has come up with a new plan to compensate filmmakers during the pandemic: treat every movie like a box-office smash.
After shocking Hollywood with its decision to release all its new movies this year on HBO Max, the studio has adjusted terms of its deals with partners to guarantee payment regardless of box-office sales and to increase the odds of performance-based bonuses. Warner Bros will also pay a larger group of cast and crew money based on fees it collects from HBO Max, according to people with knowledge of the studio’s plans.