Godzilla Vs. Kong Director Was Initially "Devastated" By The Movie Coming To HBO Max

Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard has spoken about how he was initially "devastated" to learn that the monster movie would be available on HBO Max and how he has since warmed up to the idea. Speaking to Deadline, Wingard said he was surprised and upset to learn, in December 2020, that Warner Bros. was shifting all of its 2021 movies to a new release strategy where they would debut in theaters and on HBO Max.

"The day HBO Max surprised all of us, it was December 3, my birthday. Here I am, going out of town to celebrate, and I get a text from my agent, Dan Rabinow. Immediately incoming: announcement that all WarnerMedia titles are going to HBO Max. I was like, 'What the hell?'" he said. "I pull over, and that's when the announcement came. Godzilla vs. Kong, all of the films are going to HBO Max same time as theaters."

In a word, Wingard said he was "devastated" by this news. Godzilla vs. Kong is Wingard's first big-budget blockbuster and he wanted people to see it on the big screen.

"This was my first big movie, a big opportunity. More than that, this is a movie that is meant to be seen on the big screen. If any movie is that, it's Godzilla vs. Kong," he said. "You want to fill up the size of the screen, this is the one to do it with. I was depressed, upset, sad. It took a while to work out the details."

Wingard said he "couldn't be mad" at the executives at Warner Bros. who made the decision because it came as a result of the pandemic. Still, Wingard said he was happy to hear Tenet director Christopher Nolan speak up on the behalf of filmmakers in criticizing Warner Bros. for the move.

"That meant a lot to me. It's not like he was saying it specifically about Godzilla vs. Kong, but him speaking up felt like someone in our corner," he said.

But now, Wingard says he has had a change of heart. He's now OK with the "temporary future" of day-and-date releases in theaters and HBO Max. The alternative would be delaying films even more, and this could be very bad for cinema, the director said.

"Look at the pandemic. If studios don't feel comfortable putting things out because they won't make money through the theatrical experience, they're just going to keep pushing movies," he said. "That's not helping cinema either. If there are no movies, then moviegoing really will die. If the only way studios will feel comfortable is with this day-and-date thing, then that's the temporary future and thank god Warner Bros has said this won't happen in 2022. Hopefully they are going to keep their word."

Also in the interview, Wingard said it helped him feel better about it all when Godzilla vs. Kong's first trailer arrived in January. To see such great numbers for the trailer and the reaction from fans really helped Wingard come to terms with the news.

"We hit record numbers on trailer views, fans were putting out reaction videos. Those saved my life, watching people filming themselves watching the trailer, and reacting to it," he said. "It was special because we'd been deprived of blockbuster cinema in 2020, and finally, people were getting their first look at the biggest craziest popcorn movie you could imagine. People were so excited, losing their minds, giggling, having a blast. It made me very emotional and I don't cry much."

In the end, Wingard said if the only way some portion of the moviegoing audience will see Godzilla vs. Kong is at home on a smaller screen, "so be it."

"The circumstances in the world now, who am I to complain? We've got to get these movies out there, and if that is the new norm, for now, OK. I don't want the cinematic experience to ever go away; it's the most sacred experience to me," he said. "The measurement for success is slightly altered, but I'm looking at a successful movie here, and that's all I ever wanted in the first place."

Godzilla vs. Kong opened in foreign markets last week and it set a new pandemic-era box office record with more than $120 million. The film opens in the US on Wednesday, March 31. For more, check out GameSpot's Godzilla vs. Kong review.

Wingard is now planning a new ThunderCats movie based on the classic '80s cartoon that will mix live-action and CGI.