Dune director Denis Villeneuve has written an essay slamming Warner Bros. for their decision to release his movie on HBO Max and in cinemas on the same day.
The Oscar-nominated director opened up about his feelings surrounding the move in the piece for Variety, as he also revealed that he found out about the deal by reading about it in the news.
"I learned in the news that Warner Bros. has decided to release Dune on HBO Max at the same time as our theatrical release, using prominent images from our movie to promote their streaming service," he wrote. "With this decision AT&T has hijacked one of the most respectable and important studios in film history. There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here.
"Warner Bros.' sudden reversal from being a legacy home for filmmakers to the new era of complete disregard draws a clear line for me. Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of team work and Warner Bros. has declared they are no longer on the same team."
Calling Dune "by far the best movie" he's ever made, Villeneuve added that Warner Bros. "might just have killed the Dune franchise" with their decision.
Villeneuve's op-ed comes after it was reported that Legendary Entertainment, the production company behind Dune, is considering filing a lawsuit against Warner Bros. over the studio's new release plans.
"(They're) hoping to first negotiate a more generous deal, but isn't taking legal action off the table should the two companies fail to come to a compromise," a source told Variety.
Legendary Entertainment also produced Godzilla vs. Kong - another movie which Warner Bros. is planning to release on HBO Max on the same day it hits theatres.
