Village Roadshow Sues Warner Bros. Over ‘Matrix Resurrections’ Release on HBO Max

variety.com:

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterVillage Roadshow sued Warner Bros. on Monday, alleging that the studio sabotaged the theatrical release of “The Matrix Resurrections” in order to drive subscribers to HBO Max.Village Roadshow has a longstanding co-financing arrangement with the studio, which has included films like the “Matrix” trilogy, “Joker,” and the “Oceans” series.

The suit alleges that Warner Bros. unilaterally decided to release the latest “Matrix” installment simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, with no notice to Village Roadshow.“The Matrix Resurrections” has grossed just $148 million at the box office to date — a fraction of the gross reaped by the three earlier films.

The suit accuses Warner Bros. of deliberately harming the film’s box office to prop up HBO Max, at the expense of the future viability of the franchise. “WB’s strategy not only ensured that ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ would be a bust at the box office, but it also inflicted serious harm to the entire ‘Matrix’ franchise,” the suit alleges. “There can be no doubt that the abysmal theatrical box office sales figures from ‘The Matrix Resurrections’ dilute the value of this tent pole franchise as a film’s lack of profitability generally prevents studios from investing in additional sequels and derivative films in the near term.”The suit also states that — due to the poor box office results — Village Roadshow cannot make its contractually obligated payment to Warner Bros., putting the company at risk of losing its rights to the film.The suit alleges that Warner Bros.